Personal Injury Lawyers Woden

Helping injured people in Woden

Woden Valley is home to the Woden town centre and Westfield Woden, Commonwealth and ACT Government offices, and Canberra Hospital in Garran, the ACT's major public hospital and trauma centre.

Because of the hospital, we see many medical negligence enquiries from the Woden area, alongside workplace injuries for health workers, public servants and retail staff, road accidents on Adelaide Avenue, Yarra Glen, Hindmarsh Drive and Athllon Drive, and slips and falls in the town centre.

Areas we cover here: Phillip (Woden town centre), Garran, Hughes, Curtin, Lyons, Chifley, Pearce, Torrens, Mawson, Farrer, Isaacs, O'Malley and Swinger Hill.

Medical negligence

If treatment at a hospital, GP or specialist fell below the accepted standard and caused you harm, you may be able to claim. These claims need an independent medical expert, and time limits apply.

Claims we handle for Woden clients

Personal injury lawyers in Woden

Woden Valley has Canberra's main public hospital, a large town centre, big government offices and busy roads, so the injury claims we see from Woden are wide-ranging. Whether you were hurt at work, in hospital, on the road or at the shops, we can tell you where you stand.

If you were injured because someone else was careless, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical and rehabilitation costs, lost income now and in the future, care and help at home, and your pain and suffering. Which scheme applies depends on how you were hurt: at work, on the road, in a public place or during medical treatment. Each has its own rules, forms and deadlines, which is why getting the right advice early matters.

Our Canberra personal injury lawyers have been helping people across the ACT since 2004. Every Woden client gets three lawyers on their case, a free first conversation and a No Win, No Fee agreement.

Workers compensation lawyers Woden

We act for Woden workers including nurses, doctors, cleaners and support staff at Canberra Hospital, public servants in the Woden town centre offices, retail and hospitality staff at Westfield Woden, and construction workers on the many new apartment towers around the town centre and the Woden light rail project.

In the ACT, most workers are covered by the Workers Compensation Act 1951 (ACT). You don't have to prove your employer did anything wrong. Workers compensation can pay weekly payments while you can't work, reasonable medical and rehabilitation costs, and a lump sum for permanent injuries. If your employer's negligence caused your injury, you may also be able to claim common law damages, which can be much larger.

Tell your employer about the injury as soon as you can, see a doctor and ask for a certificate of capacity, and lodge your claim form. Insurers often dispute claims, cut off weekly payments or offer quick settlements. We can check your entitlements, challenge a rejected claim and make sure you don't give up rights you didn't know you had. Read more about workers compensation claims in Canberra.

Medical negligence lawyers Woden

Canberra Hospital in Garran is the ACT's major hospital and trauma centre, and the National Capital Private Hospital sits beside it. Woden also has many specialists, day surgeries and GP clinics. We often help with claims involving surgery, emergency care, misdiagnosis and birth injuries at these services.

Medical negligence happens when a doctor, nurse, hospital or other health provider fails to meet the standard of care expected of them, and that failure causes you harm. Examples include surgical errors, delayed or missed diagnosis, medication mistakes, infections that weren't treated properly and injuries during childbirth. Not every bad outcome is negligence, so these claims need an independent expert opinion.

Generally you have three years to start a claim in the ACT, but the time can run from when you knew, or should have known, about the injury, and notice must be given before court proceedings start. If you think something went wrong with your care, it is best to get advice early. See our medical negligence lawyers page for more detail.

Public liability lawyers Woden

Public liability claims from Woden often involve Westfield Woden and its car parks, the Woden bus interchange and town square, the Phillip business district, local shops in Curtin, Hughes and Garran, and footpaths and roadworks around the new developments.

Public liability covers injuries in places like shops, restaurants, car parks, parks, rental properties and public footpaths. Businesses, landlords and the ACT Government must take reasonable care to keep people safe from hazards they know about or should know about. If they don't, and you are hurt as a result, you may be able to claim compensation under the Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT).

Public liability claims must generally be started within three years, and notice requirements apply before court. Find out more about public liability claims.

Slip and fall claims in Woden

Hospital corridors and car parks, wet floors in the Westfield Woden food court, the busy town square, uneven pavers near construction hoardings and the steep paths in parts of the valley are behind many of the falls we see from Woden.

Slips, trips and falls are among the most common injuries we see. If you fell on a wet floor, uneven surface, broken step, loose mat or poorly lit stairway, the person or business in control of that place may be responsible. If it happened at work, it is usually a workers compensation claim instead.

After a fall, report it to the business or property owner, take photos of the hazard and your injuries, get the names of witnesses and ask for any CCTV footage to be kept, as it is often deleted within days. See a doctor straight away and keep your receipts. Read our guide to slip and fall claims.

Car accident lawyers Woden

Adelaide Avenue, Yarra Glen, Hindmarsh Drive, Athllon Drive and the Tuggeranong Parkway all pass through or near Woden, and the town centre's bus interchange and roadworks make it a busy area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Anyone injured in a motor vehicle accident in the ACT, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, can usually claim defined benefits under the ACT Motor Accident Injuries scheme, generally regardless of who was at fault. These benefits can include treatment and care costs and income replacement. If another driver was at fault and your injuries are serious, you may also be able to make a common law claim for more compensation.

Don't sign anything from an insurer before getting advice. Learn more about motor vehicle accident claims.

TPD claims lawyers Woden

Many Woden clients work in the public service or in health care, with TPD cover through their super. If you have had to stop work because of a physical or psychological condition, we can check what your policy covers and help you claim.

Total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance is often included in your superannuation. If illness or injury means you are unlikely to work again in a job that suits your education, training and experience, you may be able to claim a lump sum. TPD claims are separate from workers compensation and other claims, so you may be able to make both.

Insurers often reject or delay TPD claims, but a rejection is not always the end. We check every policy you hold, gather the right medical and work evidence, and challenge unfair decisions through the fund's complaints process and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) where needed. See TPD claims for more.

How much is my Woden injury claim worth?

Every claim is different. What you can receive depends on the type of claim, how serious your injuries are, how they affect your work and daily life, your income before the injury, and the evidence available. Some schemes pay set benefits, while common law claims are assessed on your individual losses, including future loss of earnings and care.

We will never promise you a figure at the start. Instead, we gather the medical and financial evidence, work out what your claim is realistically worth, and negotiate hard with the insurer for that amount. If an insurer has already made you an offer, talk to us before you accept it.

Why Woden clients choose United Legal

• Local to Canberra. We have been based in Canberra since 2004 and know the ACT schemes, insurers and courts.
• Three lawyers on every case. You are never handed off to a call centre or a junior working alone.
• No Win, No Fee. No upfront fees, and if your claim is not successful you don't pay our professional fees.
• We come to you. Meet us in Fyshwick, by phone or video, or at home or in hospital if you can't travel.

How it works

1. Free claim check. Call us or answer a few questions online. A lawyer tells you honestly whether you have a claim.
2. We build your claim. We gather the medical evidence, deal with the insurer and handle the deadlines.
3. You get your outcome. We negotiate for the full amount you're entitled to. No Win, No Fee.

Meeting us from Woden

Our office is at Unit 1/54-56 Townsville Street, Fyshwick. You can meet us there, or do everything by phone and video call. If your injuries make it hard to travel, we can come to you.

Watch

Woden injury claim FAQs

Other areas we serve

• Belconnen
• Gungahlin
• Tuggeranong
• Fyshwick
• North Canberra
• South Canberra
• Kingston
• Dickson
• All of Canberra