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In 2005, Lee was involved in a tragic accident, which wasn't his fault. After years of delays, the TAC offered him $750,000 – then, we helped him to get a new offer of $1.1 million just two week later. That's an extra $350,000 in two weeks!
A Results Driven Approach To Protecting Your Income. Our Insurance Compensation Claim Lawyers Have What You’ll Need To Get The Most Back
Either by way of injury, or because of ill health, not being able to work – and thereby losing your income – can have a devastating impact on you and the people around you.
That’s why, when you’re faced with this scenario, it’s important that you get all the benefits you’re entitled to.
Such benefits can be available to many under:
- An income protection policy obtained by the person directly or by an employer as a group policy.
- An income protection policy obtained as part of a Superannuation Fund.
Due to the complexity of these policies, it is often difficult for unemployed workers to know exactly what cover they have and how they can get the maximum benefits they deserve from all available sources.
If you are unable to work due to an injury or illness, you should get help from the experienced insurance lawyers at Henry Carus + Associates.
We are prepared to fully review your situation and determine what forms of income protection cover you have. We can then help you lodge proper claims for the full payments you deserve.
We handle insurance claim cases on a No Win, No Fee basis. This means you face no financial risk by working with us. In fact, it doesn’t cost you anything to discuss your situation with us. Contact Henry Carus + Associates now for a free, no-risk consultation.
Our Locations
Our Melbourne-based team of insurance claim lawyers is dedicated to helping individuals who can no longer work due to illness or injury access the financial support they are entitled to under their insurance policies. Conveniently located in the CBD on Bourke Street, we make it simple to obtain expert advice and claim assistance when you need it most.
We also service clients through offices across Melbourne’s suburbs, including:
- Altona
- Camberwell
- Bundoora
- Ringwood
- Chadstone
- Narre Warren
- Scoresby
- Richmond
- Frankston
- Sunshine
Living outside Melbourne? Access to lawyers for insurance claims should never depend on your postcode. We provide personalised insurance law services and support for clients across regional Victoria via phone and secure online consultations.
Meet Our Team of Insurance Lawyers in Melbourne
Our team brings decades of combined experience assisting clients with income protection, total and permanent disability (TPD), trauma cover, and other disability-related insurance claims. We have successfully represented thousands of individuals facing long-term illness or injury, helping them secure payment outcomes against some of Australia’s largest insurers and superannuation funds.
We speak more than 14 languages and can arrange interpreter support whenever needed. From your first consultation until your claim resolves, you’ll receive a dedicated team, clear communication, and legal strategies tailored to your personal, medical, and financial circumstances.
What You Should Do If You Cannot Work Due to Illness or Injury
If your health condition prevents you from working, taking the right steps early can strengthen your insurance or TPD claim. Our insurance lawyers recommend:
1. Seek medical support
Continue to see your treating doctors and specialists. Regular medical records are essential in demonstrating your work capacity and ongoing symptoms.
2. Request your policy documents
Obtain copies of your insurance policy or superannuation fund insurance terms. These outline your eligibility and the criteria for making a claim.
3. Gather medical evidence
Collect medical reports, hospital records, certificates of capacity, and any documents confirming your diagnosis and treatment. These will support your claim assessment.
4. Record your work history and limitations
Document when you stopped working, the duties you can no longer perform, and how your illness or injury affects your daily life. Personal diaries, employer reports, and HR correspondence are useful.
5. Keep receipts and paperwork
Store receipts for treatment expenses, medication, transportation, and rehabilitation. These may assist with reimbursement and proving the financial impact.
Your Entitlements
Depending on your insurance policy and circumstances, you may be entitled to benefits designed to support you while you are unable to work. Our insurance dispute lawyers can assist you with identifying and securing entitlements such as:
- Income protection benefits
- Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) lump-sum payouts
- Trauma / critical illness insurance payments
- Superannuation fund-based disability benefits
- Ongoing medical and treatment expenses
- Rehabilitation and recovery support
- Mental health and psychological treatment
- Specialist consultations and diagnostic assessments
- Support services at home (cleaning, care support, meal help)
- Transport to medical and rehabilitation appointments
Trusted Legal Expertise across All Injury Claims
Our lawyers for insurance claims specialise in helping those with illness or injury access the insurance benefits they are entitled to. But beyond insurance attorneys, we also assist clients across Victoria with many forms of injury claims – from personal injury claims to birth injury claims.
Our dedicated and compassionate team includes:
- Personal injury lawyers
- Medical negligence lawyers
- Workers compensation lawyers
- Slip and fall lawyers
Get The Best Insurance Claim Advice.
Our unrivalled experience in insurance claims will ensure you’re always in safe hands. In particular you’ll benefit from our intimate knowledge of how insurance companies operate and how we can use them to get the result you want.
Our results driven approach includes these key steps:
We’ll start by reviewing the specific insurance policy, before confirming the basis for entitlement to the benefit.
We’ll then look at relevant medical evidence to determine whether the person should be entitled to get the benefit. Of course, if someone in receipt of benefits is wrongly denied further benefit, we act quickly and litigate if needed to get the benefit restored.
We will then make an application for the benefit.
If denied, we will litigate the matter to a successful outcome.
Using these key steps allows us to create a solid foundation from which we can launch a compensation case, while giving us the best possible chance of achieving a successful outcome.
About Income Protection Insurance
Whether it is through a superannuation fund or a separate policy, many workers are covered by income protection insurance that is designed to provide benefits in the event they are unable to work due to an injury or illness. Sometimes this cover is provided by an employer, a union, a private policy or a super.
Because there are so many varieties of income protection insurance, there are many different requirements and procedures for claiming benefits when someone becomes unable to work because they are disabled by sickness or an injury. One thing that is common across all forms of income protection: the path to securing benefits is confusing, difficult and riddled with potential delays.
How can you avoid problems and speed up the process? Get help from someone who understands the system and knows how insurance schemes operate. At Henry Carus + Associates, our lawyers deal with insurance policies and superannuation funds every day in our practice. We know what to look for and how to prepare a claim so that it has the best chance for approval. If a claim is unreasonably denied, we are not afraid to take the claim to litigation in order to achieve a successful outcome as quickly as possible. Most forms of income protection will provide payments that equal 75 percent of what you earned before you got sick or injured. These payments may be made in addition to compensation you receive from WorkCover or other sources, though offsets may apply.
Because we understand what a difference income protection payments can make for your household finances, the legal team at Henry Carus + Associates works hard to maximise the amount you receive from every available source.
Roadblocks To Income Protection Benefits
Why can it be so difficult to receive what you deserve from income protection schemes? Many of the obstacles arise from the fact that insurance companies don’t want to pay out unless they have to. Fortunately, the insurance business is a heavily regulated industry. However, it often takes someone who understands the regulations to make them work on behalf of claimants rather than insurers.
At Henry Carus + Associates, we are very familiar with the laws and regulations that govern insurance cover. We also know how insurance companies function.
That knowledge and experience give us an inside edge when seeking income protection benefits for our clients. If there’s no win, there’s no fee to pay.
At Henry Carus + Associates, we believe you deserve more and we won’t stop until we’ve won. The results of our dedication and hard work are easy to see in the outcomes of our clients’ cases. More than 98% of our clients have found success on their claims.
Our firm handles income protection insurance claims on a No Win, No Fee basis. That means you owe us nothing for our legal services unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our consultations are completely free and totally confidential.
Our first goal is to make sure we win your compensation case for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Income protection provides regular monthly payments (typically 70-75% of your income) while you are temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury, continuing for a set period. TPD insurance provides a one-time lump sum payment if you become totally and permanently disabled and unlikely to ever return to work, designed to cover long-term expenses and major financial needs. Both serve different purposes, and many Australians hold both policies.
You have three options: (1) lodge an internal dispute resolution (IDR) complaint with the insurer requesting reconsideration, (2) escalate to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for independent review, or (3) pursue court proceedings. Internal reviews are handled by different staff and often succeed. Strict time limits apply — insurers must respond to IDR complaints within 30-45 days. Always seek legal advice as lawyers can challenge decisions effectively.
Review your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), a legally required document explaining what your policy covers and excludes, benefits, limits, claim procedures, and waiting periods. Begin with the Key Facts section for a quick overview, focusing on exclusions and conditions. Use the glossary to clarify any unfamiliar terms. Contact your insurer or superannuation fund if you have questions about policy definitions and entitlements.
Contact a lawyer before filing if your policy wording is unclear, you have complex income structures, or you’re unsure whether your condition meets policy definitions. Early legal support often improves claim outcomes by ensuring proper documentation, protecting all entitlements, and avoiding errors that could prejudice your claim.
Under the Life Insurance Code of Practice, insurers must decide income protection claims within two months, and TPD claims within six months from the date the claim is received or the end of the waiting period. A reasonable assessment time can be as little as 3 months with strong medical evidence, but it depends on case complexity. Anything longer than 12 months without a valid cause may indicate breach of duty. You may be entitled to interest if unreasonable delays occurred.
Review your PDS to understand how your insurer defines total and permanent disability or temporary incapacity, including whether it’s “own occupation” or “any occupation” cover. Seek professional advice from lawyers who can interpret policy wording, review medical evidence, and assess whether your condition meets policy definitions.
