2026 Seminar Menu

A well-crafted Letter of Instruction is the expert's map: it frames the issues, sets the factual assumptions, and defines the boundaries of opinion so the resulting medico-legal report is accurate, reliable, and admissible. This session distils best practice for briefing experts – what to send (and what not to), how to structure neutral, legally precise questions, and how to ensure the report squarely addresses liability, causation, and quantum. You'll leave with practical tools (templates, prompt sheets, and checklists) that improve report quality, reduce challenge on admissibility or weight, and streamline case timelines and costs.

This seminar aims to demystify the calculation of Whole Person Impairment (WPI %) using the AMA 5 Guides and the PIRS system. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how injuries are categorised and assessed, the practical application of AMA 5 and PIRS, their limitations, and strategies to address these challenges to support stronger medico-legal reports and case outcomes.

This seminar focuses on psychiatric medico-legal assessments, with a strong emphasis on the Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale (PIRS), used to assess psychiatric impairment in personal injury and compensation matters. It covers how to read, interpret, and challenge psychiatric reports in litigation.

Orthopaedic injuries make up a significant proportion of personal injury claims. Misunderstanding a report's conclusions on impairment, causation, or stability can seriously affect settlement outcomes. This seminar provides a practical overview of orthopaedic medico-legal assessments, including how injuries are diagnosed, causally linked to events, and rated using the AMA Guides (5ᵗʰ Edition). It also discusses how and why non-organic signs are identified during an examination, and their impact on diagnosis, impairment, and credibility. This session bridges the gap between medical opinion and legal application, helping participants confidently interpret reports, identify red flags, and communicate effectively with medical experts. Participants will gain clarity on the key orthopaedic principles underpinning impairment assessment and learn how to critically read and apply the findings within the claims and litigation context.

Occupational therapy reports are essential in establishing non-economic damages, future care costs, and rehabilitation needs in personal injury and disability cases. This seminar introduces legal practitioners to the structure and value of OT medico-legal reports, and how their opinions inform treatment and rehabilitation claims, and contribute to assessments of residual earning capacity, retraining potential, and restrictions on employment. It discusses common assessment types, as well as why OTs assess home environments, and how those observations underpin recommendations for care hours, home modifications, and equipment.

Respiratory dust disease claims, including silicosis, asbestosis, and occupational asthma, present unique challenges for personal injury lawyers in Queensland. Accurate assessment of impairment, causation, and prognosis requires careful interpretation of clinical and diagnostic evidence, as well as understanding the relevant statutory and legislative frameworks. This session will equip lawyers with practical understanding of how respiratory conditions are medically assessed, what drives impairment ratings, and how to effectively brief and engage with expert evidence in dust disease claims.

This introductory seminar provides lawyers with a practical foundation in the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (5ᵗʰ Edition) – commonly referred to as AMA 5. The session will explore the assessment of spinal injuries, some of the most common injuries which give rise to personal injury claims. The session will outline Chapter 15 of the Guides, and the Diagnosis-Related Estimate (DRE) method, the primary method of spinal injury assessment.

This seminar provides lawyers with a practical foundation in the AMA Guides (5ᵗʰ Edition). The session will give lawyers a practical working knowledge of how experts assess permanent impairment of the upper and lower limbs using Chapters 16 and 17 of the Guides, with a focus on the Range of Motion (ROM) method of assessment, and how the resulting percentages are used in claims and litigation.

Medico-legal reporting often presents practical and procedural challenges that can affect the quality, timeliness, and admissibility of expert evidence. Common issues, such as claimant attendance, informed consent, and communication gaps, can further complicate the process. This seminar provides practical guidance to help lawyers and litigation support staff manage these complexities with confidence, strengthening compliance, collaboration, and report quality.

This seminar will explore the ethical, procedural, and legal obligations imposed on experts and legal practitioners involved in the medico-legal process, with a particular focus on the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules (UCPR). It addresses critical concepts such as disclosure obligations, joint examinations, report admissibility, and report amendments.

This seminar offers legal practitioners actionable insights and tools to identify and reduce costs associated with medico-legal reports without compromising report quality. Covering the full medico-legal process, attendees will learn how to maximise efficiency in scheduling and coordination, streamline report processes to avoid unnecessary changes, and embed sustainable control practices using modern systems and policies.