How to Make a CTP Claim in NSW: Step by Step

Step 1: Get safe, get help, get details

If anyone is seriously hurt or in danger, call 000. For police help when it isn't an emergency, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444. The claim form asks about police involvement, so make sure the accident is reported and keep the police event number.

If you can do it safely, collect the other vehicle's registration, the driver's name and contact details, and the names and numbers of any witnesses. Photos of the scene, the vehicles and your injuries can matter a great deal later, especially if fault is disputed. Dashcam footage and nearby CCTV can disappear within days, so ask for it early.

Step 2: Get medical care and your first certificate

See a GP or go to hospital as soon as you can, and say clearly that you were hurt in a motor vehicle accident. From a claim point of view, early medical records do two jobs: they show what was injured, and they link the injury to the accident.

Your claim needs a Certificate of Fitness completed by a medical practitioner. It records your injuries and what you can and can't do, including work. Keep getting updated certificates while you are off work or on restricted duties, because weekly payments usually depend on them.

You can see your usual GP. If you don't have one, or yours isn't familiar with CTP claims, we can point you to doctors experienced with CTP claims and allied health such as physiotherapy and psychology.

Step 3: Work out which insurer to claim against

The claim goes to the CTP insurer responsible for the accident, usually the insurer of the at-fault vehicle. The Service NSW online claim and the SIRA website can help you identify it. If the vehicle was unidentified or uninsured, the claim generally goes to the Nominal Defendant.

Step 4: Lodge your Application for Personal Injury Benefits

The main claim form is the Application for Personal Injury Benefits. You can lodge it online through Service NSW or directly with the insurer. Use the current version of the form; see CTP claim forms and our claim form walk-through.

Timing matters. To get weekly payments back-paid to the day after the accident, the insurer generally needs your claim within 28 days. You can still claim up to 3 months after the accident, but weekly payments may only start from the date of your claim. For accidents on or after 1 April 2023, if you claim after 28 days but within 3 months, you may still be paid from the day after the accident if you give a full and satisfactory explanation for the delay. See CTP claim time limits.

• Proof of identity.
• Accident details, including the police event number.
• Your Certificate of Fitness.
• Employment and earnings information if you are claiming weekly payments: payslips, a letter from your employer, or tax returns and business records if you are self-employed.
• An authority allowing the insurer to collect information relevant to your claim.

Step 5: Keep your claim moving

Once the claim is lodged, the insurer will usually give you a claim number and a case manager. From then on, the claim runs on documents: certificates, treatment requests, receipts and letters. Respond to requests in writing, keep a log of calls, and read every letter for decisions and deadlines.

If the insurer makes a decision you disagree with, such as refusing treatment or calculating your weekly payments too low, you can generally ask for an internal review within 28 days of receiving the decision. The letter should explain your review rights. See CTP claim denied.

Evidence worth keeping from day one

Most of the evidence that decides a claim, especially a later damages claim, is created in the first few weeks. Keep:

• Photos, dashcam footage and witness details.
• Ambulance, hospital and GP records, and every Certificate of Fitness.
• Imaging reports and specialist letters.
• Payslips, rosters, tax returns and anything showing what you earned before the accident.
• Receipts for out-of-pocket costs, such as medication and travel to treatment.
• A short diary of symptoms, time off work and things you can no longer do.

When to talk to a lawyer

You don't need a lawyer to lodge a CTP claim, and plenty of people with short, straightforward claims never use one. SIRA also funds a free CTP Legal Advisory Service for statutory benefits questions. It is worth talking to an independent CTP claim lawyer if:

• You are close to, or past, the 28-day or 3-month mark.
• The other driver disputes what happened, or the insurer suggests you were at fault.
• It was a hit and run or the other vehicle was uninsured.
• You are self-employed, or your earnings are hard to prove.
• Your injuries are serious, or you think a damages claim may be possible.