Court awards Dr Gaby Bolton $75,000 for risking her career with class action against hospital bosses
Dr Bolton's legal victory in 2023, which paved the way for successful class actions, could have come at a high personal cost, the court said.
Nine doctors will receive between $15,000 and $75,000 to recognise that they have risked their reputations by leading class actions against hospitals that failed to pay junior doctors for overtime.
The payments are part of a $175 million settlement approved by the Federal Court of Australia on Monday to compensate 12,846 Victorian doctors for years of unpaid overtime work.
Dr Gaby Bolton, who led the first class action against Peninsula Health and paved the road for class actions against other hospital operators, was awarded an extra $75,000 to recognise the 171 hours she had dedicated to the case and the risk to her professional reputation.
Eight other doctors who led class actions were awarded from $15,000 to $40,000.
