EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Karine currently acts for a range of healthcare providers including doctors, radiologists, dentists, pathologists, pharmacists, private hospitals and alternative health care providers across all areas of health law. She regularly appears on behalf of clients in all jurisdictions in civil claims, public health matters, Medicare audits and reviews, hospital investigations, coronial inquests, complaints to disciplinary bodies and employment disputes.
Karine’s expertise in health law is bolstered by her extensive experience in advising insurers on complex insurance law issues such as claims management, indemnity, policy interpretation, liability and fraud, particularly those relating to Medicare services. Previous clients include Australian and global insurers and underwriters, government departments and corporations.
She has an excellent understanding of all aspects of insurance litigation and dispute resolution and has often appeared before the Federal Court as well as the Supreme / District Courts in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia plus various tribunals.
Her recent experience includes acting for several doctors in large scale Medicare audits and investigations, acting for several plastic and reconstructive surgeons in civil claims arising from alleged suboptimal surgical results and acting for a medical specialist involved in an extensive hospital investigation and complaints to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission and Medical Council.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Assisted a general practitioner to achieve a successful outcome in a large scale PSR audit of his Medicare billing practice. Karine was also successful in assisting the doctor to defend subsequent Medical Council of NSW and NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) disciplinary proceedings by establishing that he was no longer a risk to the public.
- Represented a junior doctor in a District investigation, coronial inquest and Medical Council of NSW and HCCC disciplinary proceedings arising from the death of a patient. With Karine’s assistance, the doctor was able to finalise his surgical training and obtain general registration.
- Acted for a surgeon involved in a hospital investigation into his clinical practice over the past 10 years and successfully negotiated for the surgeon to retire with no adverse findings made
- Assisted a local insurer to successfully recover the $2 million damages it had paid to an injured plaintiff from a manufacturing company in France
- Assisted several private hospitals to achieve early resolution in professional negligence claims involving faulty surgical equipment and failure to provide adequate care.