Coal Mining Workers Compensation Lawyers New South Wales
Have you or your loved one been injured at a coal mine?
Helping coal miners secure compensation and rebuild their future with clarity, compensation, and peace of mind.
Free Compensation Guide for Injured Coal Miners in NSW
Injured at Work? Your Next Step Could Protect Your Family’s Future.
Do it for them – our step by step guide to understand your rights and protect your family’s future whilst you recover.
We come from coal mining families - so when we say we understand what injured miners and their loved ones go through, we mean it.
We know how quickly an injury can turn your life upside down. The financial strain. The stress on your family. The uncertainty about your future. Whether you’re off work entirely or stuck on restricted duties, the pressure adds up - fast.
That’s why we do everything we can to help injured coal miners and those working in mining services access the compensation they’re entitled to.
If you’ve suffered a physical or psychological injury in or around a coal mine, we’re here to help - and under NSW law, it costs nothing to get advice or representation.
Don’t let cost be the reason you don’t reach out. We’ll give you honest answers, with no obligation.
We can help you seek compensation if you have been injured at work including:
Physical Injuries like back and spinal injuries, muscular injuries, shoulder and knee injuries, nerve injuries, CRPS, head injuries, broken bones or fractures.
Physical Injuries
Psychological & Psychiatric Injuries
Psychological and psychiatric injuries like depression, anxiety or PTSD.
Diseases like respiratory diseases, coal miners pneumoconiosis or “black lung”, hearing loss and industrial deafness.
Diseases
Historic injuries that you may not have been compensated for or if you have injuries arising from the general nature and conditions of your work.
Historic Injuries
We understand that an injury working at a mine has the ability to turn your life upside down. It is our role to help and guide you through the legal process and get the compensation you are entitled to.
At Shaw & Bunner Legal, your case isn’t handed off to junior staff or buried in a big-firm backlog.
Our founding principals, Gemma and Kerri, personally manage every file - so you get direct access to senior lawyers who know your name, understand your story, and care about the outcome.
We’re not just part of the community. We’re here, beside you, every step of the way.
Our senior lawyers bring decades of hands-on experience helping injured coal miners and regional workers secure the compensation they deserve. From minor claims to complex, high-stakes matters — we know the system, and we know how to get results.
Experience
With offices in Branxton and Gunnedah and deep roots in the communities we serve, we’re not just nearby, we’re one of you. We’ve helped miners and their families right across NSW.
Local
No two injuries, or lives, are the same. That’s why we take the time to listen, understand, and give clear, personalised advice. You can count on us to show up, follow through, and advocate for the outcome you need.
Dependable
“Thanks again for the excellent result in my recent compensation case. My experience was as you described at our initial meeting. I received Professional service in a very personalised manner. All my questions and concerns I had were answered, which is reassuring in what can seem a daunting process. Thanks again to everyone at Shaw and Bunner I would not hesitate to recommend your service to anyone requiring it.”
Regards, SB.
“Thank you for your care, support and hard work over the last few years. It has certainly been a roller coaster of emotions but I am so thankful to have had your support and direction. I am glad that this process has come to an end and I can begin to work on the future with my children.”
Thank you again, AS.
“Thanks so much, both of you. This is a big moment for us, not just the money, but being able to close the book on all of it. I appreciate all your hard work.”
Thanks again, TD.
Our recent client success story
Our client had worked in the underground mining industry for 40 years and had a near-death experience whilst working underground. Our client developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result and his claim was denied by Coal Mines Insurance. We were successful in overturning that decision and were also able to explore claims for permanent impairment and pain and suffering arising from numerous physical injuries our client had sustained whilst working underground. We were able to achieve an overall Redemption settlement for our client.
Our client was a contract dump truck operator working at an open cut coal mine when they sustained serious spinal injuries whilst being loaded by a digger. We were able to assist in a claim for damages against the occupier of the mine site and advise our client on their separate entitlement as against the employer, the contract labour hire company. These rights interacted together on settlement which was significant in the case, as well as advising on the distinct industrial issues that were relevant to our client’s circumstances.
We help injured coal miners to secure compensation, navigate the claims process, and protect their families so that they never feel alone in the process.
We lead with empathy and compassion and have deep experience with mining and regional workers — we get the unique challenges you face. As a specialist PI firm, our dedicated services will help you achieve peace of mind and financial stability.
Let us help you focus on recovery today and avoid the stress of navigating insurers alone.
Dedicated Specialists. Exceptional Results.
Kerri Shaw
Kerri is a co-founder of Shaw & Bunner Legal and a trusted advocate for injured workers across regional NSW. Born and raised in the Hunter Valley, with strong family ties to the coal mining industry, Kerri brings a local’s insight and a deep sense of care to every matter she takes on.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Business (Honours) from the University of Newcastle, and began her legal career at a prominent national firm, where she built a strong foundation in personal injury and insurance law - including significant time spent advocating in courtrooms and representing clients in complex personal injury matters. That experience now fuels her strategic, solutions-focused approach to achieving the best outcomes for her clients.
Kerri is known for her approachable style and her ability to make even the most complex legal processes feel simple and manageable. She prides herself on building genuine relationships with her clients. She takes the time to listen, explain things in plain English, and advocate fiercely — whether through negotiation, mediation or in court.
She regularly represents injured coal miners and regional workers, and also acts in complex personal injury claim – whether through the insurance systems or common law negligence claims.
For Kerri, it’s not just about compensation — it’s about helping people feel supported, heard and back in control of their future.
CO-FOUNDER | Personal Injury Lawyer
Gemma Bunner
CO-FOUNDER | Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law
Gemma is one of the founding principals of Shaw & Bunner Legal and a nationally recognised expert in personal injury law. With deep family roots in the mining industry, she brings not only legal expertise but a real understanding of what injured workers - especially coal miners - and their families go through.
Before launching Shaw & Bunner, Gemma worked in a large national firm, where she gained extensive experience representing injured clients across a wide range of complex personal injury matters. That big-firm training now fuels her highly personalised approach - combining top-tier legal knowledge with local insight and genuine care.
Gemma holds a dual degree in Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts (Honours), and since 2012 has been an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law with the NSW Law Society — an honour held by only 6% of solicitors in the state.
She is known for her calm, compassionate presence and unwavering commitment to helping clients move forward after life-changing injuries. Gemma regularly acts for injured coal miners and regional workers, and also supports clients in other personal injury matters, especially when the incident causes catastrophic and serious injuries.
Above all, she believes every client deserves to feel seen, heard, and fully informed — without the legal jargon or overwhelm.
Legal Costs
Under the coal mining workers compensation scheme, you can receive legal advice and assistance to make a claim at no cost to you.
If your claim is successful, you do not pay legal fees for the work we do with respect to your claim. Our fees are paid by the workers compensation insurer, generally Coal Mines Insurance.
On successful completion of the claim, you can also recover the cost of any disbursements incurred in your matter. Disbursements are expenses payable to a third party - such as doctors report fees, payment for clinical notes.
If your claim is unsuccessful, you do not have to pay legal fees - we simply do not get paid. The only time you would be required to pay any legal fees is if a Court found that your claim was fraudulent.
