Burnout and compassion fatigue are becoming some of the biggest hidden risks in personal injury practice — not just for individual wellbeing, but for client outcomes, team performance and long-term retention. In this Q&A, Prina Shah shares what burnout really looks like before it becomes obvious, why “toughness” isn’t the same as resilience, and the practical, no-nonsense strategies leaders can implement to protect both people and performance in a busy PI environment.
/Personal%20Injury_5.png?width=944&height=450&name=Personal%20Injury_5.png)
From your perspective, why is burnout becoming a business risk in personal injury practices, not just a wellbeing issue?
From my perspective, burnout has become a business risk because it directly affects judgement, decision-making, client outcomes, and retention. In personal injury practices, the work is emotionally complex and high stakes. When people are burnt out, they are still showing up, but not doing their best thinking. That creates risk, rework, disengagement, and loss of capability. Burnout is no longer just about individual wellbeing – it undermines performance, trust, and sustainability.
How does the nature of personal injury work contribute to compassion fatigue over time, even in high-performing teams?
The nature of personal injury work involves sustained exposure to trauma, grief, and injustice. Even in high-performing teams, that emotional load accumulates over time. High performers often carry more because they care deeply and are relied upon. Without intentional recovery built into the system, empathy turns into emotional depletion. Compassion fatigue is not about people caring less – it’s about caring for too long without enough support or recovery.
In your experience, what are the earliest warning signs that a lawyer or team member is heading towards burnout, before it becomes obvious?
In my experience, the earliest warning signs are behavioural, not dramatic. People become more irritable, less patient, more withdrawn, or overly perfectionistic. Work feels heavier, takes longer, and small issues feel disproportionately stressful. Often the most reliable people are the ones quietly struggling. By the time burnout is obvious, it has usually been present for months.
You speak about the importance of detachment without guilt. What does healthy detachment actually look like in a client-facing legal role?
Healthy detachment in a client-facing legal role means caring deeply about the work without carrying the emotional weight home. Detachment without guilt allows lawyers to remain empathetic and professional while protecting their own wellbeing. It’s not emotional distance – it’s emotional boundaries. This kind of detachment supports clearer thinking, better decisions, and more sustainable client care.
What do you see as the biggest myths around resilience in law, especially the idea that “toughness” equals wellbeing?
The biggest myth around resilience in law is that toughness equals wellbeing. Pushing through without pause is often praised, but that’s endurance, not resilience. True resilience includes recovery, boundaries, and support. If resilience is defined as coping in silence, burnout becomes inevitable. Sustainable performance requires both challenge and care.
What practical strategies can leaders use to understand the real workload and stress levels of their teams, beyond just billable targets?
Leaders need to look beyond billable targets and understand cognitive and emotional load. Practical strategies include regular check-ins that ask what feels heavy, where pressure is building, and what support is needed. Billables measure time, not intensity. Leaders who ask better questions get a clearer picture of real workload and stress.
How can firms reduce overload without compromising client outcomes or performance expectations?
Firms can reduce overload by improving prioritisation, clarity, and resourcing rather than simply expecting more effort. Overload often comes from unclear expectations, inefficient processes, and constant urgency. When work is better prioritised and capacity is protected, client outcomes and performance actually improve.
What are the most effective ways to support staff wellbeing in a non “woo woo” way that actually works in a busy practice?
The most effective ways to support staff wellbeing are practical and systemic. Clear priorities, fair workloads, supportive supervision, and predictable recovery time matter far more than wellbeing initiatives alone. Wellbeing improves when people feel respected, supported, and able to do meaningful work, not when wellbeing is treated as a side project.
From a culture perspective, what are the most important behaviours leaders need to model if they want teams to thrive long term?
From a culture perspective, leaders need to model realistic boundaries, early conversations about pressure, and psychological safety. What leaders tolerate and role-model becomes the culture. When leaders normalise overwork or silence, burnout follows. Thriving cultures are built through consistent, visible leadership behaviours.
If you could give one immediate, actionable tool that leaders can implement this week to protect wellbeing and performance, what would it be?
One immediate, actionable tool leaders can implement this week is a short, consistent check-in focused on energy, not just output. Asking what is draining people, what support would help, and what needs to be reprioritised creates clarity and signals that wellbeing and performance are shared responsibilities.
Prina will explore these issues further in his session ‘Building a Resilient Practice: Managing Burnout and Staff Wellbeing’ at Personal Injury Conference: The Claims and Challenges on Thursday, 5 March 2026, covering:
- how the nature of personal injury work can quietly erode wellbeing over time
- the importance of detachment: without guilt
- practical ways to enable self-care (in a non woo woo way) for yourself and your people
- practical strategies leaders can use to understand the current state of their teams, prevent overload, support staff, and create a culture where everyone thrives
Prina Shah, Global Workplace Transformation Consultant Prina Shah is a global coach, consultant and speaker who helps leaders use culture as a strategic advantage. With over 20 years’ experience in senior in-house roles across organisational and leadership development, HR and culture change, she has worked across government, not-for-profit and private sectors globally. She is the author of Make Work Meaningful: How To Create a Culture That Leaves a Legacy and the host of the Ways to Change the Workplace podcast.
