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Stephanie Francis

Senior Associate

Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Bachelor of Arts

P: +61 3 8637 9463

M:

E: sfrancis@rk.com.au

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  • Litigation
  • Statutory Interpretation
  • Personal Injury and Compensation
  • Compensation
  • WorkCover

After working as a graduate trainee across each of Russell Kennedy’s practice groups, Stephanie commenced her career in the Insurance and Compensation Team, working on both common law and statutory benefits Workcover claims.

Stephanie then spent several years working at a global firm where she specialised in general liability, medical indemnity, and public liability claims.

In this role, Stephanie represented and advised hospitals in defence of medical negligence claims, ranging from small claims to catastrophic injuries, and assisted in the representation of hospitals at coronial inquests.

Stephanie also has experience acting on behalf of hospitals and other insured entities in defence of historical ‘forced adoption’ claims and has provided strategic advice on the management of such claims.

Stephanie has experience managing institutional abuse claims on behalf of both insured and uninsured entities and has also acted on behalf of government departments and other bodies in defence of public liability claims.

Currently, Stephanie advises and acts on behalf of the Victorian WorkCover Authority and Transport Accident Commission in relation to serious injury applications, common law damages and statutory benefits disputes.

Experience

Medical Indemnity
Acting for Victorian public health organisations in relation to a broad range of medical matters in the County and Supreme Courts including claims relating to:

  • Negligent surgical technique;
  • Failure to warn/inadequate consent discussions;
  • Incorrect/delayed diagnosis;
  • Obstetric management including a claim for wrongful birth;
  • Psychiatric management;
  • Oncology;
  • Paediatrics;
  • Emergency Care; and
  • Rural medicine.

Institutional abuse - general

  • Acting for insured and uninsured care agencies in relation to historical and more recent sexual and physical abuse claims; and,
  • Providing insureds with strategic advice on the management of claims, appearing at informal settlement conferences/ mediations and, providing advice on the discoverability of historical documentation.

Institutional abuse – forced adoption claims

  • Acting on behalf of Victorian public health organisations in historical forced adoption claims brought by both mothers and children;
  • Acting on behalf of other insured not-for-profit entities in relation to claims brought by mothers;
  • Appearances at informal settlement conferences/mediations, and,

Public liability

  • Acting for disability service providers with respect to litigated claims regarding the death of residents in care;
  • Assisting with defence of public liability claims arising from injuries sustained on government property;
  • Acting for a range of governmental departments and entities, public hospitals, community service organisations, and other publicly funded organisations in relation to various public liability claims; and,
  • Defending VWA recovery claims after workplace injuries.

Leadership

  • Committee Member, Russell Kennedy Pro Bono Committee