8 best personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland (2026)
On our October 2026 scoring, the best personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland are Maurice Blackburn, Shine Lawyers and Turner Freeman Lawyers. We score all 18 firms on the same public records, not case results. Of these, 8 have a QLS Accredited Specialist and 13 appear in Doyle’s Guide 2025 or 2026. No firm pays to rank.
Written and fact-checked by Marshall Fenech, Editor. Firm facts checked 20 October 2026. How we rank firms.
At a glance
|
Firms ranked, top 8 listed |
18 |
|---|---|
|
With a QLS Accredited Specialist |
8 |
|
In Doyle’s Guide 2025 or 2026 |
13 |
|
Highest score |
97/100 |
|
Average Google rating(15 rated) |
4.8★ |
Facts checked 20 Oct 2026.
The 8 best personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland, ranked
1 Maurice Blackburn
97/100Regional and remote Queensland access. 16 QLD offices including Mackay, Gladstone and Gympie, plus Mount Isa by appointment.
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Leading
How Maurice Blackburn scores 97
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Michelle James + 4 more | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Leading 2026 | 20/20 |
| Google rating | 4.7★ (373 reviews) | 17/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 8 of 8 | 10/10 |
| Queensland office network | 10 regions | 10/10 |
2 Shine Lawyers
94/100Statewide office coverage. 25 Queensland locations listed, from Cairns and Townsville to Toowoomba and the Gold Coast.
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Leading
How Shine Lawyers scores 94
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Jodie Willey | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Leading 2026 | 20/20 |
| Google rating | 4.5★ (195 reviews) | 15/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 7 of 8 | 9/10 |
| Queensland office network | 9 regions | 10/10 |
3 Turner Freeman Lawyers
93/100Asbestos and dust disease claims. In Doyle's 2026 'Leading' tier for Queensland plaintiff dust diseases, alongside work injury.
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Leading
How Turner Freeman Lawyers scores 93
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Harry Dignan | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Leading 2026 | 20/20 |
| Google rating | 4.6★ (77 reviews) | 14/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 7 of 8 | 9/10 |
| Queensland office network | 5 regions | 10/10 |
4 Travis Schultz & Partners
92/100Capped fees. The firm publishes a ceiling of one-third of the net settlement and names eight QLS Accredited Specialists.
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Leading
How Travis Schultz & Partners scores 92
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Travis Schultz, Trent Johnson, Greg Spinda, Beth Rolton, Hugh Powell, Nickelle Morris, Amanda Gilmour, Michael Callow | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Leading 2026 | 20/20 |
| Google rating | 5.0★ (320 reviews) | 19/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 5 of 8 | 6/10 |
| Queensland office network | 4 regions | 7/10 |
5 East Coast Injury Lawyers
88/100Personal injury claims led by three QLS Accredited Specialists, with a 30% fee cap and no uplift fee
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Recommended
How East Coast Injury Lawyers scores 88
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Sean Delpopolo, Helen Ashton, Prue Prescott | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Recommended 2026 | 12/20 |
| Google rating | 4.9★ (161 reviews) | 18/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 6 of 8 | 8/10 |
| Queensland office network | 6 regions | 10/10 |
6 Splatt Lawyers
86/100Statewide office network, with ten listed Queensland locations from Cairns to Southport
- Has QLS Specialist
- Doyle's Recommended
How Splatt Lawyers scores 86
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Kerry Splatt | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Recommended 2026 | 12/20 |
| Google rating | 4.8★ (295 reviews) | 18/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 5 of 8 | 6/10 |
| Queensland office network | 7 regions | 10/10 |
7 Connolly Suthers
75/100North Queensland claims. Townsville full-service firm (founded 1895) with an Ayr office and a QLS-accredited personal injuries specialist.
- Has QLS Specialist
- 7 of 8 claim types
How Connolly Suthers scores 75
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | William John | 25/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Not listed | 0/20 |
| Google rating | 4.9★ (396 reviews) | 19/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 7 of 8 | 9/10 |
| Queensland office network | 4 regions | 7/10 |
8 Slater and Gordon
69/100Institutional abuse claims. One of two firms in Doyle's 2026 'Leading' tier for Queensland plaintiff abuse claims, with 14 QLD offices.
- Doyle's Leading
- 8 of 8 claim types
How Slater and Gordon scores 69
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | None found on the QLS register | 0/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Doyle's Guide 2025/2026 | Leading 2026 | 20/20 |
| Google rating | 4.4★ (137 reviews) | 14/20 |
| Published fee terms | Published on the firm's website | 15/15 |
| Claim types offered | 8 of 8 | 10/10 |
| Queensland office network | 8 regions | 10/10 |
10 more personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland are in the law firm directory, ranked the same way.
What stands out
How personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland compare with Queensland
|
Measure |
Personal injury lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland |
All Queensland firms |
|---|---|---|
|
Firms with a QLS Accredited Specialist |
44% |
27% |
|
Firms in Doyle’s Guide 2025 or 2026 |
72% |
36% |
|
Firms that publish their fee terms |
100% |
100% |
|
Average score (out of 100) |
66 |
50 |
|
Average score of the top 10 |
82 |
91 |
About Cairns and Far North Queensland
Cairns is described as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage rainforests, with a regional economy worth more than A$16 billion. Innisfail, in the Cassowary Coast Regional Council area, is the region’s other urban centre. The Queensland Government groups Cairns and Far North Queensland as one region with these urban centres: Cairns, Innisfail. Population: 280,330. Postcodes: 4830, 4851–4895.
Local councils: Cairns Regional Council, Cassowary Coast Regional Council. Magistrates courthouses in the region include Cairns Magistrates Court, Innisfail Magistrates Court. Most personal injury claims start with pre-court notice steps. Claims that reach court are heard in the Magistrates, District or Supreme Court depending on their value.
Source: Cairns and Far North Queensland (Queensland Government), checked 20 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Related rankings
How the score works
Every firm is scored out of 100 on public records: QLS specialist accreditation (25), Doyle’s Guide (20), Google rating (20), published fee terms (15), claim types (10) and Queensland offices (10). Firms can’t pay for a place.
Check any of these firms side by side
The tool starts with this list’s top three. Swap any firm, or change the area or claim type: it covers every Queensland firm in our directory. For more ways to compare, see injury law firm comparison.
Top 3 Personal Injury Lawyers in Cairns and Far North Queensland, compared side by side
The highest-scoring of 18 matching firms. Swap any firm using the lists above.
| Fact | Maurice Blackburn | Shine Lawyers | Turner Freeman Lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score (out of 100) | 97/100 | 94/100 | 93/100 |
| Best for | Regional and remote Queensland access. 16 QLD offices including Mackay, Gladstone and Gympie, plus Mount Isa by appointment. | Statewide office coverage. 25 Queensland locations listed, from Cairns and Townsville to Toowoomba and the Gold Coast. | Asbestos and dust disease claims. In Doyle's 2026 'Leading' tier for Queensland plaintiff dust diseases, alongside work injury. |
| Has a QLS Accredited Specialist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Published fee terms | No Win, No Fee cost agreements are offered in practice areas including road, work and public place injury, med…No Win, No Fee cost agreements are offered in practice areas including road, work and public place injury, medical negligence, abuse, superannuation and dust diseases, 'only when we believe your case is reasonably likely to be successful'. No Win, No Fee covers professional fees only. 'In most cases' disbursements such as court filing fees or medical reports 'must be paid whether you win or lose', except in class actions and dust disease matters where disbursements are payable only if successful. A written estimate and Costs Agreement are provided before work starts. Free claim check offered. | Shine says it provides 'the majority of our services on a No Win, No Fee* basis' (conditions apply). Legal fee…Shine says it provides 'the majority of our services on a No Win, No Fee* basis' (conditions apply). Legal fees are charged only if the case is won and compensation is received. If the case is unsuccessful, no legal fees are payable. The client 'may need to pay for disbursements relevant to your case (e.g. a report by a medical expert)'. Obligation-free initial consultation. No percentage, uplift or 50/50 detail is published on the Brisbane page. | After an obligation-free initial meeting and case assessment, if the claim has 'reasonable prospects of succes…After an obligation-free initial meeting and case assessment, if the claim has 'reasonable prospects of success and is economically viable', the firm takes it on a 'No Win – No Fee' basis and is paid 'a reasonable fee' only if the client wins. The policy extends to all compensation and personal injury claims (with exceptions in the conditional costs agreement) but 'does not provide an indemnity for the other side's legal costs' if a case is lost at trial. Disbursement and percentage terms were not published on the fees page. |
| Doyle's Guide | Leading 2026 | Leading 2026 | Leading 2026 |
| Google rating | 4.7 (373) | 4.5 (195) | 4.6 (77) |
| Queensland offices | Brisbane +15 offices | Brisbane +24 offices | Brisbane +7 offices |
| Claim types | 8 of 8 Abuse claims, Car accident (CTP), Dust diseases, Medical negligence, Motorcycle accident, Public liability, TPD & superannuation, Workers compensation | 7 of 8 Abuse claims, Car accident (CTP), Dust diseases, Medical negligence, Public liability, TPD & superannuation, Workers compensation | 7 of 8 Abuse claims, Car accident (CTP), Dust diseases, Medical negligence, Public liability, TPD & superannuation, Workers compensation |
| Firm type | National firm | Listed company | National firm |
| Founded | 1919 | 1976 | 1952 |
| Facts checked | 20 October 2026 | 20 October 2026 | 20 October 2026 |
Facts come from each firm’s profile, with sources and check dates. How scores work.
Sources
How firms are scored: how we rank Queensland injury lawyers. Claim deadlines: Queensland claim time limits.