How do you maximise personal injury damages and secure the strongest possible outcome for your client? Gain practical insights into three powerful strategies to increase claim value from preparation through settlement. Understand how to negotiate more effectively at mediation and mandatory conferences, how to understand occupational therapy evidence to substantiate functional limitations and future needs, and strengthen economic loss claims through clearer calculations and contingencies. Gain practical insights to close evidentiary gaps and present a compelling, well-supported claim that puts you in the best position to maximise your client’s compensation.

Presenters

Fiona Bateman, Director, Forensic Accounting Specialist, Dolman Bateman
Fiona has more than four decades of experience in accounting across industry and professional practice and has been a partner in the Dolman Bateman team since 1992. Her litigation-support work includes providing expert evidence in State and Federal courts and assisting with the cross-examination of other accountants. She has given expert evidence in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the Federal Court of Australia, various District Courts and the Family Court of Australia. Fiona also provides business advisory, accounting and taxation services to a broad range of businesses, professions and legal practitioners.

Nancy Stephenson, Senior Occupational Therapist, Assess Medical Group
Ms Stephenson graduated from the University of Queensland in 1984 and has been practicing continuously for over 40 years. She is highly experienced in medicolegal assessment, total and permanent disability assessment, activities of daily living assessment, independent living needs assessment and functional capacity assessment. She has worked in occupational rehabilitation for many years conducting functional capacity assessments, worksite visits, designing return to work programs and case management of injured workers. She has been in private practice for many years and established and has consulted to industry, insurers, commonwealth organisations, individuals and private organisations. Ms Stephenson has expertise in a range of conditions including respiratory and dust diseases and abuse claims. She has been conducting medicolegal assessments for more than 15 years and is an experienced expert witness. She provides medicolegal assessments for personal injury, medical negligence and workplace and industrial accidents. Ms Stephenson specialises in assessing complex and catastrophically injured cases. She continually develops her knowledge and skills by regularly attending training courses and conferences to adopt best practice in medicolegal reporting.

Kelly McIntyre, Barrister, Hemmant’s List
Kelly is a highly skilled Barrister and accredited Mediator, with extensive expertise in personal injury law, commercial litigation, and resources disputes. With over 20 years of legal experience, she is renowned for her formidable advocacy, strategic dispute resolution, and ability to secure favourable outcomes for her clients—both in Court and through Mediation. Her dual skills as counsel and mediator gives her a unique advantage in personal injury law—she not only represents clients in litigation but assists parties as a mediator to facilitate settlements, encouraging fair and efficient resolutions. As a Nationally Accredited Mediator (NMAS) since 2011, Kelly is sought after for her ability to navigate high-conflict disputes, balancing legal precision with empathy to achieve optimal results. A dynamic presence in Brisbane’s legal community, Kelly is frequently invited to speak on personal injury law, mediation best practices, and resources law. Beyond her practice, Kelly is dedicated to pro bono work and volunteers with LawRight, ensuring access to justice for vulnerable claimants.