Matthew has over 7 years’ experience working in Compulsory Third-Party insurance, having acted for all but one of the CTP insurers operating in South Australia, defending claims in all jurisdictions involving matters with complex liability, causation and quantum issues. His experience also extends to public liability insurance claims, and commercial litigation and dispute resolution, having defended and prosecuted matters worth in excess of a million dollars.
Matthew spent more than 2 years working for a CTP insurer and is familiar with the inner workings, key performance indicators and operations of insurance companies. He has also worked on the Applicant side of personal injury matters, representing clients in public liability and CTP claims which has given him insight into how Applicant lawyers manage claimants, assess matters and strategise negotiations.
Matthew also has experience in commercial litigation, criminal defence and property law.
Experience
- Acting for insurers in defence of simple and complex CTP claims, including catastrophic and dependency claims in accordance with the Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA) and Motor Vehicles Act 1959 (SA).
- Solicitor with conduct, instructing Counsel in one of only six matters to proceed to trial under the ‘new’ South Australian CTP scheme in which the Applicant was a self-represented litigant who did not speak English.
- Instructing Counsel at Mediation in matters involving complex causation issues.
- Working for a CTP insurer, managing claim files from lodgement to finalisation in accordance with statutory, regulator, and internal KPIs and targets.
- Advising on liability, claims management, strategy and quantum.
- Acting for insurers in relation to public liability claims involving complex liability, causation and quantum issues.
- Acting for insurers in relation to recovery proceedings.
- Regularly appearing in various jurisdictions from Magistrates Courts to the Supreme Court of South Australia conducting pre-trial hearings, settlement conferences, directions hearings and solicitor advocacy work.
- Regularly appearing in the South Australian Employment Tribunal in relation to dust diseases matters.
- Acting for business entities in relation to high quantum litigation disputes including unjust enrichment.
- Acting for landlords, tenants and managing agents in relation to claims arising from injuries sustained at retail shops and shopping centres.
- Defending claims by cyclists resulting from injuries arising from construction sites in which the cyclist had numerous pre-existing and subsequent accidents and injuries.
Memberships
- Committee Member, Law Society of South Australia Accident Compensation Committee
- Member, Law Society of South Australia