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PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE · TASMANIA
When a professional you trusted gets it wrong — a lawyer who missed a deadline, a doctor who misread the signs, an accountant who cost you more than their advice was worth — the impact on your life can be significant. If you are on Tasmania’s North West Coast and you believe a professional has caused you real loss, you may have grounds to claim. Fair Go Australia provides specialist professional negligence support to people across the region — from Devonport and Burnie to smaller communities further along the coast — with no upfront cost and no requirement to travel.
THE REGION
The North West Coast stretches from Devonport — the gateway city where the Spirit of Tasmania docks — west through Ulverstone, Burnie, and Wynyard toward the far northwest. Professional services in the region are largely concentrated in Devonport and Burnie, meaning many communities rely on the same pool of practitioners for legal, medical, financial, and advisory needs.
When those practitioners fall short, the consequences can be severe — and the options can feel limited if you’re not sure where to turn. Professional negligence law exists precisely for these situations. Under the Civil Liability Act 2002 (TAS) and long-established common law principles, any person who has suffered a real loss as a result of a professional’s failure to meet the expected standard of care may be entitled to compensation.
The test is objective: not whether a bad outcome occurred, but whether the professional’s conduct fell below the standard a reasonably competent practitioner in that field would have met. This principle was firmly established by the High Court in Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 and continues to govern professional negligence claims across all Australian jurisdictions, including Tasmania.
CLAIM TYPES
We handle the full spectrum of professional negligence claims. The situations below represent some of the most common matters we see from people across the North West Coast.
A lawyer who missed a limitation period, failed to advise you on a critical risk, or handled a property or estate matter poorly. Legal negligence claims are among the most common we see. Learn more about solicitor negligence claims.
A misdiagnosis, a delayed diagnosis, a surgical complication that should not have occurred, or a failure to properly inform you of a material risk before treatment. Learn more about medical negligence claims.
Advice that was unsuitable for your circumstances, a failure to disclose conflicts of interest, or investment recommendations that caused you measurable financial loss.
Tax errors, compliance failures, or advice that triggered penalties from the ATO. If an accountant's work cost you money it shouldn't have, that may support a claim.
Structural defects arising from engineering or certifier errors. If a professional involved in the design, inspection, or certification of a property failed to identify or disclose a defect, you may have a claim.
Unsuitable loan products, undisclosed fees, or advice that placed you in a financial position you were not informed about. Mortgage brokers carry the same professional obligations as other licensed advisers.
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER TASMANIAN LAW
Professional negligence claims in Tasmania are primarily governed by the Civil Liability Act 2002 (TAS). This legislation sets out how negligence is assessed, what heads of damage are recoverable, and how courts approach questions of causation and contributory negligence.
The standard applied by courts is objective — it asks what a competent professional in that field would have done in the same circumstances. A professional is not expected to be perfect, but they are expected to bring reasonable skill and care to their work. When that threshold is not met and you suffer a real loss as a result, the law gives you a pathway to seek redress.
For matters involving legal practitioners, the Law Society of Tasmania is the professional regulatory body. Contested claims may ultimately be heard in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, though the majority of professional negligence matters resolve before reaching that stage.
LIMITATION PERIODS
The time limits for professional negligence claims in Tasmania are set out in the Limitation Act 1974 (TAS). The applicable period depends on the nature of the claim:
The discoverability rule is important: in many professional negligence cases, the harm is not apparent immediately. Time may run from when you first knew — or should reasonably have known — that something had gone wrong and that a professional’s failure was the likely cause. The application of this rule can be complex, and the safest approach is always to seek advice promptly rather than assume time is on your side.
In Tasmania, professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within the time limits prescribed under the Limitation Act 1974 (TAS). For personal injury claims, that is typically three years from the date you became aware — or should reasonably have become aware — of the negligence. For general claims, up to six years may apply, but the circumstances matter significantly. Missing this deadline can permanently extinguish your right to claim. If you are unsure whether your limitation period is still open, contact our team for a free assessment as soon as possible.
HOW WE HELP
Access to specialist professional negligence representation has historically been difficult outside of Hobart and Launceston. Fair Go Australia was built to change that. We work with clients across Tasmania — including people on the North West Coast — entirely remotely, with no requirement to travel and no reduction in service quality.
Professional negligence is all we do. We are not a generalist firm that handles a negligence claim between conveyancing and family law. Every lawyer on our team works exclusively in this area, which means deeper knowledge of the case law, cleaner identification of the key issues, and a clearer view of what a claim is realistically worth.
Our no-win, no-fee model means you pay nothing upfront. If your claim succeeds, our fee is deducted from the compensation recovered. If it does not succeed, you owe us nothing. The initial evaluation is completely free and carries no obligation.
GET STARTED
If you believe a professional has caused you real loss, the first step is understanding whether your situation gives rise to a claim. Our free evaluation is confidential, carries no obligation, and will give you a clear picture of where you stand — including whether your limitation period is still open. We respond to all enquiries within one business day.
The evaluation covers: duty of care assessment · likely breach · causation analysis · limitation period status · initial indication of claim viability
We respond to all enquiries within 1 business day.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Four elements generally need to be established: the professional owed you a duty of care; their conduct fell below the standard expected of a competent practitioner in their field; that failure caused your loss; and the loss is real and quantifiable. Each element matters. If one is missing, we will tell you honestly. If all four are present, there is likely a claim worth pursuing.
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
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