ACC Barrister · Nationwide · 021 376 417
You deserve to be heard.

ACC Review Hearings — over 20 years representing claimants at review and on appeal.

If ACC has declined your claim, stopped your compensation, or questioned your injury, you have options. I can help you understand them, and assist you with your ACC matters and communications with ACC.

Review Hearings

Review Hearings are where ACC decisions are most likely to be overturned in your favour.

If ACC has declined your claim, stopped your compensation, or reduced your entitlements, you have three months to apply for a review of that decision.

The Review Hearing is your first and best opportunity to have that decision reconsidered and overturned. It is heard by an independent reviewer, not an ACC employee.

ACC contributes to the cost of a lawyer or advocate acting for you at review — whether or not the review succeeds. Very often that contribution covers the work entirely. If you represent yourself, you do not receive it.

Common ACC disputes
A middle-aged New Zealand man sitting hunched on a park bench, worried after an ACC decline
ACC has declined your claim

You have a right to challenge any decision ACC makes about cover. The review and appeal process exists for exactly this purpose, and the timeframes are strict. Don't wait.

A Māori woman with her wrist in a brace at a kitchen table reviewing ACC compensation paperwork
Your weekly compensation has stopped or reduced

Weekly compensation and other entitlements can be suspended without warning, often on questionable grounds — including vocational independence assessments. Understanding your position quickly is everything. One of the key disputes is whether the covered injury caused incapacity to work.

A medical specialist writing notes at a desk beside a stethoscope
You need specialist medical evidence

Strong specialist medical evidence often decides ACC matters. After our first conversation, I can arrange the right specialist input from a wide network of medical experts — making sure the evidence answers the questions ACC needs to hear.

An older care worker in scrubs resting in a hospital break room
A treatment injury has been declined

Treatment injuries are a distinct ACC pathway. They are often misunderstood by claimants and sometimes by ACC itself. If you have been harmed by medical treatment, you may have a covered claim.

A Māori tradesperson at a workshop bench joining an online assessment
Vocational independence assessment

ACC has assessed you as vocationally independent and is stopping weekly compensation. These decisions turn on the assessment process and evidence — they can be reviewed and, in many cases, overturned.

An older Pacific Island woman at home holding medical paperwork
You can not get cover for treatment or entitlements

ACC funding for surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing care, or related entitlements can be declined or capped. These decisions can almost always be challenged with the right evidence.

A young Māori person sitting thoughtfully on outdoor steps
Sensitive claims and lump sum entitlements

Sensitive claims and lump sum impairment entitlements are distinct ACC pathways with their own processes. I can advise on whether your circumstances support a claim, what evidence is needed, and how to navigate the process.

A weathered New Zealand farmer leaning on a fence post at dusk, holding his lower back
Lump sum impairment (WPI) declined or undervalued

Permanent impairment lump sums are calculated on a Whole Person Impairment assessment. Where you disagree with the assessment or its outcome, it can be reviewed.

A New Zealand woman in her fifties at a dining table with ACC documents and a walking cane beside her chair
A historical or long-standing ACC matter

Some ACC matters go back years or decades. Historical claims, retrospective backdating, and complex multi-injury cases need patient and careful work. I have experience with these matters.

What it costs

Worried about the cost of legal representation? You shouldn't be.

Most of my clients pay little or nothing out of pocket for legal representation.

  • ACC's review-stage cost contribution is designed to cover a lawyer's fees, and my fees typically fit within it.
  • Whether your review of a decision succeeds or fails, ACC must contribute to the costs of your legal representation and specialist opinions. This contribution will almost always cover all of these costs. Unfortunately, you will not get the legal contribution if you represent yourself.
  • If your matter proceeds to a District Court appeal, or it is particularly complex and historical, which includes sensitive claims, you could have full legal costs covered by legal aid. I am a Lead Provider of legal aid in ACC matters.
Did you know?

Under the new November 2025 review fee schedule:

  • ACC contributes up to $2,100 towards a lawyer's fees for a Category A review
  • ACC contributes up to $4,150 for medical or specialist reports
  • In most matters this means no out-of-pocket cost to you for legal representation
My ACC legal experience

I have over 20 years of experience in ACC law.

ACC barrister sole at the independent bar, working nationwide.

I'm an ACC barrister sole at the independent bar with over 20 years across reviews, District Court appeals, and High Court appeals on points of law. ACC hearings and reviews are conducted online — I work with clients from Kaitaia to Invercargill. You receive the expertise of a civil litigation barrister, at fees ACC funds or under legal aid. So while cost is rarely a barrier, if there is any cost to you involved, this will be discussed with you fully before any work begins.

Did you know?

New Zealand's ACC legislation was passed in 1974 and is regarded worldwide as one of the most effective and successful no-fault public injury systems. It replaced the right to sue with universal cover for accidents.

Free initial consultation

Start with a free conversation.

Not sure whether you know where you stand or whether you have a case? That is exactly what the first call is for. I will listen to your situation, explain your options in a way that's easily understood, and give you my honest assessment. No jargon. No pressure. No obligation.

Or call directly on 021 376 417

Based in Auckland. Available nationwide. ACC matters are conducted online.