Last updated · General information, not legal advice
Understanding fractures
Fractures — broken bones, from a hairline fracture to a complex break requiring surgery — are one of the clearer non-threshold injury categories under the CTP scheme, since the threshold definition is built around soft tissue injuries. That generally means your statutory benefits aren't subject to the threshold injury limit, and common law damages may be available if you weren't mostly at fault. The severity of the fracture, any lasting impairment, and its effect on your ability to earn are what typically shape a damages claim.
Common symptoms
Symptoms can take hours or days to appear after a crash. Getting them assessed and documented early matters for your recovery — and for your claim.
- Pain, swelling and bruising at the fracture site
- Visible deformity in more severe fractures
- Inability to bear weight or use the affected limb normally
- Reduced range of motion after the fracture heals
- Ongoing pain or stiffness during recovery and rehabilitation
Free claim check
Not sure where this leaves your claim?
How we help
A free claim check can explain what a confirmed fracture generally means for your claim, and how healing time, any surgery, and lasting impairment are likely to factor into it. Fractures are a common example of an injury serious enough to justify an independent specialist lawyer, particularly where there's ongoing impairment — we'll connect you with one where that applies.
Getting the right treatment
A confirmed fracture needs proper medical management from diagnosis through to rehabilitation — your treating doctor completes the Certificate of Fitness that records your recovery and capacity along the way. Once healing allows, physiotherapy and exercise physiology are typically central to regaining strength and function. See doctors and allied health for CTP claims for help finding the right providers.
Doctors & allied health for CTP claims
Doctors & allied health
Need a doctor who understands CTP claims?
Your claim runs on medical evidence, so the doctor you see matters. If treatment is what you need, we can refer you to a doctor or allied health provider experienced with CTP claims.
- A doctor experienced with CTP claims — for diagnosis, a treatment plan and your Certificate of Fitness, which records your injuries and your capacity for work.
- Allied health such as physiotherapy, psychology and exercise physiology, for the treatment your injuries need.
- Free, with no obligation. We'll tell you if a provider we refer you to is connected with us, and you can always choose your own.
The CTP insurer generally pays for treatment that is reasonable and necessary for your accident injuries. It decides what's approved, and its decisions can be reviewed.
What matters for your claim
- 1Imaging (X-ray or CT) confirming the fracture is central evidence for your claim
- 2Keep records of any surgery, hardware (plates, screws) and the full recovery timeline
- 3Document any ongoing stiffness, reduced strength or function once healed
- 4A whole person impairment assessment is often relevant once recovery has stabilised
- 5Keep evidence of time off work and any change in earning capacity
Getting the right evidence
Get medical attention promptly for any suspected fracture, and keep copies of imaging reports and any surgical or specialist letters — this is the core evidence for a fracture-based claim. Seek emergency care immediately for an open fracture, visible deformity, or loss of circulation.
This is general information, not medical or legal advice. If symptoms are severe or worsening, seek medical care straight away — call 000 in an emergency.
