Just a quick note to welcome our clients and supporters into 2017 and the year ahead. We will be back at our desks from Wednesday 11 January 2017 and we look forward to meeting with you all and working hard for you in respect of your legal matters.
2016 was a challenging but very rewarding and special year for us here at the establishment of Specialist PTSD & Injury Lawyers (SPIL). The specific focus of the practice is representing clients with PTSD, (post traumatic stress disorder) and other psychological injuries, especially police officers and other first responders including ambulance and fire and rescue personnel.
We chose this particular line of work because we are passionate about it and have developed an expertise in PTSD, Total Permanent Disablement claims, (TPD) and first responder compensation claims. This area of work is challenging for two reasons: firstly, PTSD and psychological claims by the nature of the injury raise unique legal issues. Secondly, there are factual complexities in many of these claims which arise from the manner in which PTSD and psychological illness develop, often over many years. In this respect, it is important that clients are represented by lawyers with experience in this field and who understand the legal intricacies involved. Our John Cox is an accredited specialist in personal injury law (see what this means here: Law Society NSW – Specialist Accreditation Scheme) and has many years’ experience in representing clients with PTSD especially NSW police officers. In our opinion the complexity of these matters means that they should only be undertaken by experienced lawyers, preferably with specialist accreditation and with many years, post admission experience. Our practice is independent and not associated with the Police Association.
In establishing SPIL, our goal was always about providing clients with a personalised service, one which distinguishes itself from the large volume, one size fits all approach. We aim to maximise the compensation payable to our clients and seek to ensure that they obtain not only justice, but vindication and acknowledgment of their circumstances and the sacrifices made during the course of their employment. It is this approach that we established with Cox West Lawyers and which we intend to continue with SPIL. We view each matter as an individual one and develop strategies specific to the facts and circumstances. We deliberately limit the number of clients that we represent to ensure that service levels remain high. Whilst we have experienced rapid growth in the 6 months we have been in operation, we are ensuring that this growth is managed and manageable. Part of this involves smart practice initiatives such as the use of specialist legal technology (eg. LEAP), our paperless office and use of technology with real time dictation and document preparation, which has created huge efficiencies for us.
In late 2016, we welcomed back many clients who we had previously acted for in respect of their compensation and TPD claims. This was particularly heartening for us and we see it as an acknowledgment of our expertise in this area. We thank these clients very much for again entrusting their claims with us. Similarly, we thank those of you who have become clients during the past 6 months. We also appreciate the ongoing referrals we receive. Nothing tells us we are on track better than a client referral.
We love and are passionate about this work and are inspired to do it by the calibre of the clients we represent. This is particularly in the case of police and other first responders, who inspire us for the sacrifices they have made during the course of their employment in protecting the safety and welfare of our communities.
Going into 2017, we wish everyone all the very best. We will be working hard for you, not only in respect of your individual claims but also in the area of law reform and more generally in fostering the acceptance and understanding of mental illness in our society. We return super refreshed and excited about the challenges ahead.
The compensation process is often an emotionally taxing one and can be a lonely time. Please look after yourself and realise that there are always people who care and are there for you.
Best wishes and we hope to see you soon, SPIL.