Melissa McDonald

Melissa joined Rankin Ellison in 2021.  She has been working in personal injury litigation since 1996.

Over the years, Melissa has worked for both Plaintiff and Defendant firms and considers this gives her an objective and balanced view of cases and in particular what evidence will be relied upon and developed in response to her client’s position.

Melissa’s practice is varied.  She provides advice and represents employers in the Personal Injury Commission in both statutory claims and in claims for damages.  She also represents employers in recovering monies paid out to injured workers under the recovery regime pursuant to section 151Z of the Workers Compensation Act, 1987 (NSW).   Melissa is also commencing to practice in the area of Dust Diseases.

Melissa is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law.  She prides herself on being able to look at matters in a timely and efficient way.  Her advices consider the individual circumstances of the claim and she attempts to tailor her work to encompass not only a good outcome but also one that is economical and valuable to her clients.  Melissa acknowledges that different clients will have a different focus on claims and that not all outcomes will necessarily work for each employer.

Melissa has worked for a variety of clients, including Government clients as well as labour hire employers and other large and small entities.  She is currently client preferred for many Health entities and those working in aged care.

Achievements

• Drafting complex pleadings and cross claims and preparing for and running matters in multiple jurisdictions
• Acting for insurers in the Personal Injury Commission, the District and Supreme Courts
• Understanding complex medical conditions including psychological issues to ensure that qualified medical opinions relate to the legal issues to be determined
• Provides timely and quality work
• Successfully ran proceedings which found that impairments from different incidents could not be aggregated for Plaintiffs to reach certain thresholds (Merchant v Shoalhaven City Council [2015] NSWWCCPD 13)
• Attends and conducts mediations and informal settlement conferences to ensure timely and cost-effective management of claims.

Admissions & Memberships

• Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW
• NSW Law Society – Member
• The Association of Women in Insurance

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Law and Administration (Newcastle University)
• Law (SAB)
• Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law from 2008

Recent Awards

• Leading Workers Compensation Lawyers – NSW – Doyles Guide 2025