AI tools such as ChatGPT can be useful for organising information, drafting notes and helping you understand general concepts. But relying on AI to run your own legal claim is risky.
Personal injury claims depend on the law that applies to your case, the evidence available, the way that evidence is presented, and the judgement required to decide what is relevant and what is not. AI can produce confident-looking answers that are incomplete, irrelevant or simply wrong.
If you submit a letter, application, statement or other document to a court, tribunal or insurer, you remain responsible for what it says. Using AI does not shift that responsibility.
What can AI help with?
AI can still be useful as a support tool. For example, it may help you:
- organise a timeline of events
- summarise your own notes
- prepare a list of questions for your lawyer
- turn rough notes into clearer writing
- identify documents you may need to locate
- help you understand general legal terms before you seek advice
Used this way, AI can save time and make it easier to organise information. The problem starts when it is treated as a substitute for legal judgement.
Why is it risky to rely on AI for a legal claim?
A legal claim is not just a writing exercise. The important work is deciding what law applies, what evidence matters, what should be left out, and how the facts fit the legal test.
AI may produce material that sounds polished but:
- does not address the real legal issue
- uses the wrong legal test
- relies on irrelevant authorities
- misstates a case or legal principle
- ignores important evidence
- overstates or understates your position
- creates a document that looks persuasive but is legally weak
If you do not already have the legal knowledge to check the answer, it can be difficult to know when the AI has gone wrong.
You remain responsible for what you submit
Using AI or ChatGPT is not, by itself, unlawful. However, if you submit an AI-generated document to a court, tribunal or insurer, you remain responsible for the accuracy, relevance and reliability of that document.
A court or tribunal will not excuse an incorrect submission simply because it was produced by AI. If the document is irrelevant, misleading or legally wrong, that can damage your case and may expose you to other consequences, including costs in some circumstances.
A recent example: Sadnan Khan v Aldi Pty Ltd
The recent Fair Work Commission matter of Sadnan Khan v Aldi Pty Ltd [2026] FWC 3144 provides a useful warning about relying on AI-generated legal submissions without critically checking them.
Mr Khan brought an unfair dismissal claim against Aldi. His application was dismissed because it had been made too late. He then relied on AI-generated submissions in a further application.
The problem was not that the submissions looked poor. The problem was that they did not properly address the legal issue that mattered.
The Fair Work Commission found that Mr Khan had failed to critically assess the AI-generated material and that this had contributed to an unreasonable continuation of the application. He was then ordered to pay Aldi’s wasted legal costs. So instead of winning his case, Mr Khan was ordered to pay a lot of money to Aldi to pay their legal costs.
Why that case matters even though it was not a personal injury claim
The Khan case was an unfair dismissal matter, not a personal injury claim. The legal rules are different. But the practical lesson still applies: a document that looks convincing can still be legally irrelevant or wrong.
In personal injury matters, similar risks can arise when dealing with insurers, preparing statements, responding to allegations, discussing medical evidence or trying to value a claim.
Will a court or insurer know that I used AI?
Often, yes. AI-generated writing can have patterns that experienced lawyers, insurers and decision-makers recognise. But whether someone can identify the use of AI is not really the main issue.
The real issue is whether what you submit is accurate, relevant, supported by evidence and legally sound.
Can AI make up cases or legal authorities?
Yes. AI systems can produce incorrect citations, misstate the effect of a case or present information with more confidence than the underlying material justifies.
For that reason, any case, legislation or legal principle generated by AI should be checked against a reliable source before it is relied on in a claim.
What is safe to use AI for in a personal injury claim?
As a practical guide, AI is safer when used to help you organise your own information rather than to make legal decisions for you.
For example, you might use it to:
- create a chronology from your own notes
- prepare questions for a medical appointment
- summarise correspondence you already have
- create a checklist of documents to discuss with your lawyer
- rewrite a rough draft in clearer plain English
But after your produce your documents, you must check that what AI has done is accurate.
You should be very cautious about relying on AI to decide liability, calculate damages, interpret medical evidence, identify limitation periods, draft formal submissions or decide what legal strategy to follow.
When should I get legal advice instead of relying on AI?
You should consider obtaining legal advice where the issue could materially affect the outcome of your claim, including questions about:
- who was at fault
- whether contributory negligence applies
- what compensation may be available
- how lost income or future earning capacity should be calculated
- what medical evidence is needed
- whether a settlement offer is reasonable
- what time limits apply
- how to respond to an insurer or court document
These are judgement-heavy issues where the details of your own case matter.
Using AI for a personal injury claim in Western Australia
For people handling a personal injury claim in Perth or elsewhere in Western Australia, AI can be a useful support tool, but it should not replace advice from someone who understands the relevant law, the evidence and the practical way insurers and courts deal with claims.
At Lian Hall Injury Law, we assist clients with personal injury claims across Perth and Western Australia. If you are unsure about something AI has produced, or you want advice about the next step in your claim, it is better to check before relying on it.
Contact Lian Hall Injury Law to discuss your personal injury claim.
