QLD Public Liability Eligibility Check

Queensland public liability claim, explained

A Queensland public liability claim is a personal injury claim against a person or organisation whose negligence caused you injury in a public place or on their premises. QLD public liability is governed by the Civil Liability Act 2003 (Qld) (substantive duty of care, caps and thresholds) and the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (PIPA) (pre-court procedural framework).

The PIPA pre-court process is mandatory: a Notice of Claim is served on the defendant, who has 1 month to respond admitting or denying liability. Both sides exchange medical and earnings evidence and attend a Compulsory Conference (a structured settlement negotiation). Most QLD public liability claims settle at or before Compulsory Conference; only unresolved matters proceed to court.

Types of Queensland public liability claims

• Slip, trip and fall - shopping centres, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, gyms across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and regional QLD.
• Council footpath and road claims - subject to Civil Liability Act road authority defences.
• Dog attacks - typically covered by owner's home insurance public liability cover.
• Defective products - common law negligence + Australian Consumer Law product safety claims.
• School and childcare injuries - high duty of care; extended child limitation periods.
• Sport and recreation injuries - subject to QLD's specific risk-warning requirements.
• Aged care and disability care injuries - Royal Commission standards apply.
• Hotel, Airbnb and tourism injuries - common given QLD's tourism economy.

The Injury Scale Value (ISV) scale

Queensland's Civil Liability Regulation 2014 uses an Injury Scale Value (ISV) system to calculate general damages (pain and suffering). Each injury type is rated 0 to 100, with each ISV value translating to a defined dollar bracket. The ISV scale is critical to QLD claim quantum:

• ISV 0-5 - very minor injuries; typically $0 - $9,000 general damages.
• ISV 6-15 - minor to moderate; $9,000 - $24,000.
• ISV 16-30 - moderate; $24,000 - $58,000.
• ISV 31-50 - serious; $58,000 - $115,000.
• ISV 51-75 - very serious; $115,000 - $270,000.
• ISV 76-100 - catastrophic; $270,000+.

The published amounts CPI-index annually. ISV classification fights matter - a 2-3 ISV-point difference can mean tens of thousands of dollars. Specialist preparation of the medical evidence to support the higher classification is critical.

QLD public liability payout ranges

• Minor slip and fall (full recovery): $15,000 - $80,000.
• Slip and fall with surgery: $80,000 - $400,000.
• Dog attack with scarring: $40,000 - $300,000.
• School / childcare injury (preventable): $30,000 - $300,000.
• Defective product (serious injury): $80,000 - $1,500,000+.
• Aged care fall (preventable): $80,000 - $400,000.
• Catastrophic public liability: $1,000,000 - $8,000,000+.

QLD time limits and PIPA traps

• 3 years from date of injury for most claims (Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld)).
• Children have until 21st birthday.
• Notice of Claim served on defendant with sufficient time before limitation - aim for at least 6 months before to allow PIPA pre-court process to run.
• Compulsory Conference - typically 12-18 months after Notice; mandatory before any litigation.

Cities and regions we cover

Brisbane CBD, North and South Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Redlands, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Darling Downs, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and regional QLD.