Road safety: It’s everyone’s responsibility  Unfortunately, we’ve seen close to 300 lives lost on our Victorian since January 1, 2023 – a 20% increase on last year’s toll. As we approach the festive season, it’s more important than ever to remain vigilant while using our roads – whether you’re a car driver, motorbike rider, pedestrian or cyclist – we all need to share the road, be aware and make it home safely. The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) last week released a myth-busting campaign “Drink Driving: Stop Kidding Yourself”. The campaign challenges drivers’ belief in myths associat ..read more

ATB welcomes Tasmania’s Commission of Inquiry and warns against the Redress Scheme Arnold Thomas & Becker recently welcomed the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings. Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Kelly Schober said, “the inquiry has provided some hope for a response from the government that recognises how they’ve been let down and that finally their complaints are being investigated.” “We have pushed for the implementation of various recommendations which we believe are absolutely fundamental to ensuring that th ..read more

A life changing fall: Ricardo’s story We all have the right to feel safe at work and return home at the end of each day. This was not the case for our client, Ricardo Fuentes, who almost died at his workplace in February 2020 after falling 10 metres to the ground when scaffolding collapsed. Ricardo was working on a building site at a townhouse when the scaffolding gave way, hurtling the workers to the ground. At first, his workmates thought Ricardo was dead. “For me, it was about holding on (to the scaffolding) for dear life and that’s all I remember to that point. From there I’ve gone down an ..read more

How to identify sexual harassment in the workplace – and what to do about it Fear. Humiliation. Violated. Afraid. Confused. Angry. Frustrated. Offended. Belittled. Grief. These are the words of our client who was sexually harassed in the workplace. Each word has its own meaning; its own consequence. Sexual harassment in the workplace still occurs. It is behavior that happened last year, last week and yesterday. It is happening now. What classifies as sexual harassment? The legal definition of sexual harassment is: An unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwel ..read more

How to identify sexual harassment in the workplace – and what to do about it Fear. Humiliation. Violated. Afraid. Confused. Angry. Frustrated. Offended. Belittled. Grief. These are the words of our client who was sexually harassed in the workplace. Each word has its own meaning; its own consequence. Sexual harassment in the workplace still occurs. It is behavior that happened last year, last week and yesterday. It is happening now. What classifies as sexual harassment? The legal definition of sexual harassment is: An unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwel ..read more

Claiming super insurance after a physical injury Our client, Brett, has never been able to return to work since a traumatic accident in 2020 that left him with severe injuries. Brett was working on a truck, pulling a tarp over a steel coil, when the tarp suddenly slipped and he fell three metres to the ground. The injuries he sustained in the fall were severe: he had a fractured left hand, broken right wrist, a gash above his temple and an injury to his brain. Brett now cannot return to work in the same capacity – his physical injuries, particularly to his brain, will prevent him from ever doi ..read more

$1 million superannuation insurance settlement for our client Despite millions of Australians holding a superannuation account, many are unaware of their entitlements to superannuation insurance should the need arise. This is particularly the case when an injury or illness affects the ability for a person perform their employment activities – even if the injury or illness occurs outside of the employment setting. A superannuation insurance claim can be pursued for any illness or injury (physical or psychological) that affects your ability to perform your employment activities, regardless of ho ..read more

Marcia’s story: Remembering Jamin October in Australia is Motorcycle Awareness month. Between 2017 and 2021, there were 195 lives lost in motorcycle accidents on Victorian roads, and more than 6,000 non-fatal crashes. Over a third of motorcycle crashes happen at intersections where other vehicle drivers do not see the rider. It was a normal morning for Marcia and her husband Jamin on Saturday 6 March 2021. Jamin, a talented tattoo artist and devoted father of two, was heading out on his motorbike to meet a friend and go to a market. But Jamin never arrived. Tragedy struck when a driver cut a c ..read more

Big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones shares his story Arnold Thomas & Becker was honoured to represent Ross Clarke-Jones throughout his recent legal issue. Ross is well-known for his love of huge waves, and over the years has travelled the globe and taken on some of the biggest waves ever attempted. When his life came crashing down, Ross was unable to earn an income as a professional athlete and suffered both mental and physical trauma. He reached out to us to help, and  our dedicated team fought successfully to achieve an outcome that gave Ross the opportunity to put it all behind him ..read more

The dangers of asbestos: David’s story David* was a fit and healthy man in his 60s living in Jakarta with his wife when he started noticing shortness of breath in 2021. It was in the midst of the pandemic when David presented at the doctor in Jakarta, so they initially thought he had contracted Covid-19. After a series of tests that ruled out the virus, it was assumed David had a chest infection and he was put on a course of antibiotics. But when he was not seeing any improvements after 10 days, David was referred to lung specialists where they performed more tests with vague diagnoses over se ..read more