Melissa is a senior medical indemnity and health lawyer specialising in civil, coronial and AHPRA proceedings.
Experience
Melissa's experience in health and medical law sees her defending complex and high-profile medical indemnity and health related claims.
Melissa provides comprehensive, strategic and practical legal advice to leading insurers to achieve favourable outcomes and has successfully negotiated numerous high quantum and complex personal injury and medical negligence claims.
In addition to defending practitioners and hospitals in medically and legally complicated litigation, Melissa has a strong interest and expertise in defending doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in disciplinary matters before AHPRA and other health complaint bodies.
Prior to joining Lander & Rogers, Melissa practised in the areas of accident compensation and litigation, representing WorkSafe Victoria, self-insurers and employers in all jurisdictions relating common law and statutory benefit claims.
Melissa's area of expertise include:
- medical negligence
- professional indemnity
- personal injury
- coronial inquests, and
- disciplinary proceedings
Career highlights
Melissa's career highlights include:
- representing a rural health service in a high quantum and complex Supreme Court matter involving the alleged mismanagement of a child post-seizure resulting in a significant brain injury
- representing a health service in a complex coronial inquest involving numerous stakeholders and the subsequent civil claim following the death of a patient
- representing an emergency health service provider in a high quantum and complex Supreme Court matter involving the alleged mismanagement of a patient during retrieval resulting in a catastrophic spinal injury
- representing doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in relation to AHPRA investigations and disciplinary proceedings regarding allegations of poor communication, inadequate note taking, cognitive impairment, sexual abuse, substance abuse and boundary violations