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About this blog

The authors of this blog are lawyers or consultants employed by the RCT Group of companies, which includes staff who work mainly within our Stringer Clark offices.

From time to time, we may also invite guest bloggers to contribute, in which case this will be made clear. Authors who are part of the RCT Group are qualified to practice law in Victoria, Australia. Any advice applies to Victorian State law as at the date of first publication. The information is a general guide only and is not a substitute for legal advice applicable to a user's own circumstances.

Residents of other Australian States or Territories or countries are advised to seek legal advice from a lawyer practising in their own area, as laws may vary from region to region.

Recent Authors

Angela Sdrinis is a senior partner with Ryan Carlisle Thomas. She is an LIV Accredited Specialist in Personal Injuries with extensive experience in Comcare matters.

Richard Derks is a Partner of the firm and practices in the area of personal injury including WorkSafe and transport accidents. He is an advocate in a variety of forums for the rights of the victims of accidents at work and on the roads.

Shaun Marcus is a Partner of the firm. He is an LIV Accredited Specialist in Personal Injuries, practising in this area with a particular focus on workers compensation and asbestos claims.

Peter Claven practices in personal injury at our Warrnambool office. He joined Stringer Clark in 2007 and is a member of the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Michael Burdess joined Stringer Clark in early 2006 and practices in the area of personal injury including WorkSafe and TAC.

Penny Savidis is a Partner of the firm and practices predominantly in the area of employment law.

A new legal service for Cobden, Terang, Camperdown and the Shire of Corangamite

I was really pleased when we decided to open a new legal office in Cobden.

It's been on our radar as a firm for a while and it makes sense. Lawyers servicing Cobden, Terang, Camperdown, Port Campbell, Timboon and across the region generally have been in short supply, given the number of people living in the area. Given our determination to maintain services in regional communities, and job opportunities, I'm confident that our new Cobden office will be welcomed.

We've long serviced the south west of Victoria with specialist advice on WorkCover or WorkSafe injuries. The intensive level of dairy processing across the Corangamite Shire inevitably exposes a need for injury and accident compensation advice. We have, for example, been servicing the needs of the Fonterra dairy workers for many years. Now we are literally next door. Expert advice has never been closer to home.

The same applies to road and traffic injury lawyers in the Camperdown and Cobden regions. While we've helped many Camperdown locals with TAC claims for car and bike accidents from our Colac office, a lot of poeple still needlessly make the trek to either Geelong or Ballarat, or even Melbourne, for expert legal advice.

The fact is that, with road injury compensation and benefit cases, local knowledge counts for a lot. We know the roads, the black spots and the history of collisions and accidents. That is important when dealing with the TAC and their insurers, most of whom have no idea of the region. We are used to locking horns with them and beating them.

The other area of local rural life that I am keen to assist with is the increasing incidence of farm accidents and injuries. Many farmers and farm workers assume that they are not as well covered for injury compensation as, say, factory workers. But that's not the case. For a start, farm vehicles accidents, such as tractor rolls or quad bike accidents, are fully covered by the TAC insurance premiums you pay every year as part of your licence fee.

There are likewise many situations in which farmers are also covered for injury compensation and medical benefits through WorkSafe. But you need to understand the complexities of the law.

Having grown up in the region on a dairy farm, my understanding of farming processes, the area and its people gives me a great advantage over the lawyers WorkCover and the TAC assign to farm accident claims.

I'm looking forward to meeting as many locals as I can over the coming months. My door is open.

Creon Coolahan will be available in the new Cobden office of Stringer Clark (part of the RCT Group) located at 17 Curdie Street, Cobden. Call for an appointment on 5500 6250 or browse the Stringer Clark website for further advice and information.

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