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The ‘incredibly rewarding field’ of personal injury law
In the realm of health, medical, and personal injury law, lawyers often face challenging cases and confront difficult information. Despite this, Verity Smith highlighted the rewarding nature of working in this dynamic environment.
Grace Robbie
Verity Smith is a personal injury lawyer for McInnes Wilson Lawyers and advises on various matters, including motor vehicle accidents, chemical harm, and bicycle accidents.
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She was also the winner in the health, medical and personal Injury category at the recent Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards, as well as being a finalist for the pro bono/community lawyer category and the winner in the insurance category in 2023.
In a discussion with Lawyers Weekly, Smith outlined the emotionally charged nature of the cases she handles, where she must grapple with clients’ deeply personal information.
“Investigating the complexities of an incident, diving into a claimant’s health [and] personal life, and learning about the adverse impacts on a claimant inevitably means taking in a lot of sensitive information. For both plaintiff and defendant lawyers, this can be heavy,” she commented.
In light of this challenge, Smith emphasised the significance of a strong support system at work to navigate the sensitive nature of her cases.
“It’s important that lawyers working in this space have the support they need to deal with such heavy content. Pre-emptive training, opportunities to debrief, and learning to take a step back when needed are all useful tools to avoid becoming overwhelmed,” she said.
Smith further emphasised the importance of shifting one’s perspective to concentrate on the positive impact you are having on an individual’s life rather than solely on the challenging aspects.
“It’s useful also to reflect on positive outcomes. Working in this practice area has such a meaningful impact on people’s lives, and acknowledging that impact is enormously motivating,” she stated.
Smith also provided useful advice to young lawyers who want to dive into the health, medical and personal injury legal space, which she said is a “multifaceted practice area with highly varied (and highly stimulating) work”.
“An average day can involve client contact, investigations, case building, negotiations and litigation – it’s very diverse and very rewarding,” she added.
Maintaining an open mind and a readiness to learn and grow as a lawyer in this area is also of the utmost importance, Smith emphasised.
“Go in with an open mind and a willingness to learn. There are many subsectors (such as motor accidents, public liability, workplace incidents, medical negligence, etc.), which means there are plenty of different avenues to explore,” she said.
“Additionally, every client and every case is different, so it’s important to approach each case with an open mind.”
Lastly, Smith revealed her excitement towards facilitating growth and expansion within a new area of law in 2024, in addition to continuing working with clients across the health, medical and personal injury space.
“I’m looking forward to growing our specialist division, motorcycle law; giving specialised legal assistance to the motorcycling community. I hope to expand our community education initiatives and continue to advocate for motorcycle safety,” Smith stated.
“The health, medical and personal injury space is an incredibly rewarding field. Lawyers working in this area have the power to change people’s lives. I feel very privileged to be able to help my clients achieve justice.”
