When you are choosing a personal injury lawyer, the marketing language tends to sound the same. “Experienced.” “Trusted.” “Fighting for you.” Every firm says it.
What actually separates lawyers is not what they say about themselves. It is the qualifications they hold, the committees they sit on, the roles they have played in shaping Queensland compensation law, and the depth of experience they bring to claims like yours.
At Splatt Lawyers, the legal team is led by people whose credentials are independently verified and publicly recognised. This article sets out who they are, what they have achieved, and why it matters when you are deciding who to trust with your claim.
The key facts at a glance:
- Principal Kerry Splatt has practised personal injury law for more than 40 years
- He has held Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist status in Personal Injury Law continuously since 1998
- In 2025, the Honourable Chief Justice Bowskill of the Supreme Court of Queensland presented him with the QLS 25-Year Accredited Specialist Award
- 99% of QLD claims are resolved without court proceedings
- The legal team spans Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Cairns, Townsville, and five other Queensland locations
Kerry Splatt: Principal Lawyer and QLS Accredited Specialist
Kerry Splatt founded the firm in 1996 and remains its Principal Lawyer. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and has practised personal injury law for more than four decades.
In 1998, the Queensland Law Society formally assessed and accredited him as an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law. This is not a self-declared title. It requires lawyers to demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills through a rigorous assessment process, and to maintain ongoing professional development to retain the designation.
Kerry has held this accreditation continuously for 25 years, placing him among a small group of Queensland lawyers who have achieved that milestone.
The QLS 25-Year Accredited Specialist Award
In 2025, Kerry received formal recognition of that achievement at the Queensland Law Society Specialist Accreditation Breakfast in Brisbane. The Honourable Chief Justice Bowskill of the Supreme Court of Queensland presented him with the QLS 25-Year Accredited Specialist Award.
When accepting the award, Kerry reflected on what sustained specialist practice means in practice:
“After practising for more than 40 years and having been an Accredited Specialist Personal Injury Lawyer in Queensland for 25 of those 40, I can confidently state that this practice area of compensation law has grown in complexity. Holding a specialist accreditation for so long has allowed me to achieve the best possible outcomes for my clients while also sharing my knowledge, experience, and expertise with my colleagues.”
For clients, this matters in a specific way. Accredited Specialist status is not honorary. It reflects a lawyer who has been independently assessed as operating at an advanced level in their field and who has continued to develop professionally across decades of practice.
Kerry's Role on Queensland Compensation Law Reform
Kerry’s influence on personal injury law in Queensland extends beyond his own caseload. He played a central role in having consumer protection legislation introduced that directly benefits every personal injury claimant in Queensland today.
Section 347 of the Legal Profession Act (Qld) caps the maximum legal fees a compensation lawyer can charge at 50% of the net settlement payout. This cap exists because of the advocacy Kerry contributed to, ensuring injured people are not left with a settlement that is consumed by legal costs.
Splatt Lawyers follows this legislated requirement, and all files are independently cost-assessed.
Committee and Professional Roles
Kerry has served on a number of significant legal committees, including:
- Accredited Specialist Board of the Queensland Law Society
- Queensland Branch of the Australian Lawyers Alliance
- Queensland Law Society Insurance Law Task Force (working with the Queensland Government and insurers on insurance law reform)
- Consumer Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia
- Queensland Law Society Court Practice and Procedure Committee
- Compensation Committee of the Queensland Law Society (since 1988)
- Tort Reform Committee of the Queensland Law Society
- Parliamentary Review Committee of the Queensland Law Society
These are not ceremonial appointments. They represent active participation in the processes that shape how compensation law is written, interpreted, and applied in Queensland.
Areas of Legal Expertise
Kerry provides legal advice across the core areas of Queensland personal injury law:
- CTP claims (Compulsory Third Party insurance)
- Car accident claims
- Work injury damages claims
- Workers’ compensation claims
- Public liability claims
- Professional negligence claims
Andrew Splatt: Director and Executive Practice Leader
Andrew Splatt is a Director and Executive Practice Leader at Splatt Lawyers. His legal career began before he finished school, when he worked as a filing clerk during school holidays. That early exposure to legal practice led to an unusual path that shaped a distinctly practical approach to the law.
- After completing school in Brisbane, Andrew spent 18 months working as a jackaroo on a sheep and cattle station in South-West Queensland before moving to the Gold Coast to begin university.
- He completed a Bachelor of Jurisprudence, then returned to Brisbane to work as a law clerk while finishing his Bachelor of Laws.
Judicial Associate Experience
After graduation, Andrew was appointed Judge’s Associate to a District Court Judge based in Rockhampton, covering Central Queensland. He then continued that role in Brisbane, serving as Associate to the then-President of the Children’s Court of Queensland and District Court Judge.
This background is worth noting. Working as a Judge’s Associate means exposure to how courts actually evaluate evidence, assess credibility, and reach decisions. Most compensation lawyers do not have this perspective, and it shapes how Andrew approaches case preparation and settlement strategy.
Qualifications
Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
Bachelor of Jurisprudence | University study (Gold Coast) |
Bachelor of Laws | University study (Brisbane) |
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice | Postgraduate |
Graduate Certificate of Agribusiness | Postgraduate |
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland | Admitted |
Solicitor of the High Court of Australia | Admitted |
Professional Memberships
- Queensland Law Society
- Australian Lawyers Alliance (Committee member, Superannuation and Insurance Special Interest Group and National AI Special Interest Group)
Practice Areas
Andrew handles workers’ injury, motor vehicle injury, public liability, multi-trauma, and complex claims. His dual admission to both the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia reflects the level at which he is qualified to practise.
For clients, direct access to a lawyer with Andrew’s background means your claim is being managed by someone who understands both the technical demands of compensation litigation and how courts view the evidence underpinning a claim.
Sarah Singh: Executive Practice Leader, North Queensland
Sarah Singh leads Splatt Lawyers’ practice in North Queensland, covering both the Townsville and Cairns offices. She is a Townsville local who has lived and worked in North Queensland her entire career.
Sarah studied at James Cook University and completed a dual degree in law and business, with a major in economics and regional development. She was admitted as a solicitor in 2012 and has since built a practice focused on the specific compensation law needs of North Queensland communities.
Leadership in the North Queensland Legal Community
Sarah holds several active leadership positions that are relevant to anyone seeking legal representation in the region:
- Current President, North Queensland Law Association (NQLA)
- Secretary, Townsville District Law Association (TDLA)
- Committee Member, Queensland Law Society Accident Torts and Compensation Law Committee
- Committee Member, Australian Lawyers Alliance Queensland
- Member, Townsville Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Cairns Chamber of Commerce
The NQLA presidency is a peer-elected leadership role. It reflects how Sarah is regarded by other legal practitioners in the region, not just by clients.
Since 2018, she has also volunteered at Townsville Community Law, providing legal assistance to people who cannot afford representation. This is not a marketing point. It is a consistent commitment of her own time, outside of billable work.
What This Means for North Queensland Clients
Personal injury law in North Queensland presents particular challenges. Distances are greater, access to specialist medical assessors is more limited, and clients in regional and remote areas face practical barriers that Brisbane-based practices do not always understand.
Sarah’s deep local knowledge, combined with her leadership roles in the regional legal community, gives her the networks and practical experience to help clients work through those challenges. Her qualifications include:
- Bachelor of Laws, James Cook University
- Bachelor of Business (Economics and Regional Development Major)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
- Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
The Broader Legal Team
Beyond the senior leadership, Splatt Lawyers operates with a team of qualified solicitors and practice leaders across Queensland. Each holds formal legal qualifications and practises woth the guidance of Kerry Splatt’s specialist accreditation.
Justin McIntyre: Executive Practice Leader
Justin McIntyre holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, and Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.
He is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and is a member of both the Queensland Law Society and the Australian Lawyers Alliance. He covers the Toowoomba, Caboolture, and Sunshine Coast regions.
Sam Kenny: Executive Practice Leader
Samuel Kenny is based across the Gold Coast, Logan, and Brisbane regions.
He handles the full range of personal injury matters, including work-related injuries, motor vehicle injuries, public liability, multi-trauma, and complex claims.
What "Direct Access to a Senior Lawyer" Actually Means
In Queensland, personal injury firms can operate with a significant gap between the lawyer who signs the retainer and the person who actually works on your file. Junior solicitors or paralegals handle day-to-day matters, and the senior lawyer may step in only at critical junctures.
At Splatt Lawyers, direct access to a senior lawyer is a stated commitment, not an aspirational phrase. The team structure is intentionally sized to make this possible. Qualified practitioners handle your claim, not a chain of handoffs.
This matters most at three points in a claim:
- At assessment — when the strength of your claim is being evaluated and strategic decisions are made about how to proceed
- During negotiations — when the insurer is making offers and a senior lawyer’s experience with comparable settlements determines whether you accept or push further
- If a dispute arises — when the legal complexity increases and you need someone who has navigated the same situation many times before
What Specialist Accreditation Means for Your Claim
The Queensland Law Society’s Specialist Accreditation program is the only formal mechanism in Queensland for independently verifying that a lawyer has demonstrated advanced expertise in a particular area of law.
To become accredited, a lawyer must:
- Meet minimum experience requirements in the relevant practice area
- Pass a formal assessment process conducted by the Queensland Law Society
- Demonstrate ongoing professional development to maintain accreditation
Most personal injury lawyers in Queensland are not accredited specialists. They are qualified solicitors who practise in the area, but they have not been independently assessed at the specialist level.
The practical difference: A specialist has been tested on their knowledge of the law and their ability to apply it. That assessment process, and the ongoing development it requires, means the law they are applying to your claim is current, not based on how things worked a decade ago.
Why 99% of Claims Settle Out of Court
About 99% of Queensland personal injury claims resolve without court proceedings. This number is not simply a function of the cases taken on. It reflects a firm’s approach to preparation and negotiation.
Insurers settle claims when they believe the evidence is strong, the legal arguments are sound, and the opposing lawyer is capable of taking the matter to court if needed. A legal team led by a 25-year Accredited Specialist, with a Director who has served as a judicial associate, presents a credible litigation risk to insurers. That credibility is part of what drives early, fair settlements.
The cost of choosing the wrong lawyer:
- A claim handled by a less experienced practitioner may be settled for less than its true value
- Poor preparation can result in critical evidence being missed before limitation periods expire
- An insurer who does not believe your lawyer will go to court has less incentive to offer a fair settlement
Choosing a lawyer with verified specialist expertise is not just about credentials. It is about the leverage those credentials create in your negotiations.
Talk to the Team
If you have been injured through the negligence of another person or organisation, understanding your legal rights costs you nothing.
Splatt Lawyers offers a free initial consultation by phone, online, or in person at ten locations across Queensland. For clients who cannot travel, we offer home and hospital visits.
It’s free to know where you stand. Call 1800 700 125 or book a free appointment online.
The legal team at Splatt Lawyers handles personal injury, workers’ compensation, CTP, public liability, and superannuation and TPD insurance claims across Queensland, from Cairns to the Gold Coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kerry Splatt still actively practising?
Yes. Kerry Splatt remains the Principal Lawyer at Splatt Lawyers and is actively involved in the firm’s legal work. He has practised personal injury law for more than 40 years and continues to hold his QLS Accredited Specialist designation.
What is the difference between an accredited specialist and a regular solicitor?
An accredited specialist has been independently assessed by the Queensland Law Society and found to have advanced knowledge, skills, and experience in their field.
In contrast, a regular solicitor is qualified to practise law but has not undergone that specialist assessment process. The QLS is the only body in Queensland that grants specialist accreditation.
Does Splatt Lawyers take cases to court?
The firm resolves about 99% of disputes without going to court. However, the team is fully qualified to litigate when required.
- Andrew Splatt is admitted as a Solicitor of both the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia.
- Having lawyers capable of going to court is part of what gives the firm negotiating leverage with insurers.
Can I speak directly with a senior lawyer about my claim?
Yes. Splatt Lawyers provides direct access to a senior lawyer as a standard part of its service. Initial consultations are free and can be conducted by phone, in person at any of the firm’s ten Queensland locations, or via a home or hospital visit for clients who cannot travel.
Are legal fees capped?
Yes. Under Section 347 of the Legal Profession Act (Qld), the maximum any compensation lawyer in Queensland can charge is 50% of the net settlement payout. Kerry Splatt played a central role in introducing this legislation.
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