It's easy to assume that a crash without an ambulance isn't worth a claim. Yet a low-speed bump can still injure someone, and the injury side is what the CTP scheme covers. For people around Burwood, our free claim check looks at what happened, what was damaged and who was hurt, then tells you honestly which claim you have and whether you need anyone's help to make it.
Inner West · Car accident claims
Uninsured or drove off? Car accident claims in Burwood
Free, by phone or online. We'll say plainly if your situation is one we don't help with.
Postcode: 2134
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Burwood & Burwood North
Sort your crash into the right claim
After a crash, the kind of claim depends on what happened: who was hurt, what was damaged, whether the other vehicle can be found, and whether you were working. Pick the card closest to your situation. Some crashes fit more than one.
- You were injured
An injury goes to a CTP insurer
If anyone in the crash was hurt, even slightly, there is an injury claim to consider. It runs through a CTP insurer, separately from any damage to the cars, with its own forms and deadlines.
CTP claims in Burwood - Your car was damaged
Car and property damage is a separate claim
A damaged car, bike or fence is a property claim. It generally goes to your own insurer or the other driver's property insurer, not to CTP, and we don't handle it. Keep it apart from any injury claim.
What CTP does and doesn't cover - Hit-and-run or uninsured
A driver who fled or had no Green Slip
A missing or uninsured vehicle doesn't end an injury claim. The Nominal Defendant stands in for the missing insurer. You'll need to show you tried to identify the vehicle, starting with a prompt police report.
Uninsured or unidentified vehicles - Driving for work
Driving for work usually brings another scheme first
If you were driving for work, you generally need to claim workers compensation through your employer's insurer first, and CTP benefits are generally not paid on top. A CTP damages claim against an at-fault driver may still be possible, so get advice.
Crash while working? Quick check - Someone died
When someone died in the crash
The family of someone who died in a NSW crash may be able to claim funeral expenses and, for dependants, the financial support they lost. Support is available through CTP Assist whenever you're ready to talk.
After a fatal crash
General information, not legal advice. Some crashes involve more than one claim. Time limits apply.
A car accident claim from Burwood: local context
Parramatta Road, Victoria Road and Liverpool Road have kerbside parking and tight lanes, so side-swipes and clipped mirrors are common. Damage to the car is a property matter; any injury goes to a CTP insurer. Around Westfield Burwood, Burwood Park and the Burwood Road shopping precinct, many crashes happen at low speed in car parks, drop-off zones and side streets. A slow bump can still hurt someone, and the kind of claim depends on who was hurt and what was damaged. Hospitals serving the area include Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. You don't need an ambulance or an emergency visit to have an injury claim, but a doctor should record your injuries and link them to the crash.
- Region
- Inner West
- Postcode
- 2134
- Local landmarks
- Westfield Burwood · Burwood Park
- Main roads
- Parramatta Road · Liverpool Road
- Nearest public hospital
- Concord Repatriation General Hospital
Free claim check
Not sure what claim you have? Ask us
Tell us what happened and we'll work out which claim applies, and where it goes. Damage-only matters we'll point back to your insurer.
The kinds of claim a car accident can lead to
Most car accident claims fall into a few types. There's the injury claim, made to a CTP insurer. There's the damage claim, made through property insurance. And there are the harder cases: a vehicle that drove off, a vehicle with no insurance, or a crash while you were working. Each goes somewhere different, which is why sorting yours out comes first.
Read next:Which help do I need? Quick check
Small crashes and symptoms that show up later
It's common for pain or stiffness to appear a day or two after a crash, once the adrenaline wears off, though everyone is different. If that happens, see a doctor and mention the crash. The time limits for claiming run from the date of the accident, not from when symptoms began, and lodging within 28 days of the accident means weekly payments can generally be back-paid to the day after it.
Deadlines run from the crash
Even if you're not sure the injury is serious, check your deadlines early. They start on the day of the crash, not when you first notice symptoms.
Read next:The 28-day rule for CTP claims
Who pays for the car, and why it isn't CTP
Your car and your injuries run on separate tracks. The car side goes to a property insurer, usually your own if you have comprehensive cover, or the other driver's if they were at fault and insured. The injury side goes to a CTP insurer. An offer about the car says nothing about your injuries, so don't treat it as the end of the matter.
If you don't have comprehensive insurance and the other driver was at fault, their property insurer is usually the first place to ask about repairs. Where the other driver has no property cover at all, the options are narrower and may involve dealing with them directly. None of this changes your right to make an injury claim through CTP.
When the other vehicle drove off or wasn't insured
A vehicle that can't be identified, or one with no CTP insurance, doesn't leave you without someone to claim against. The Nominal Defendant, a NSW Government-backed fund, stands in for the missing insurer. The injury claim then works in much the same way as any other, and the usual time limits apply from the date of the crash.
- Note the colour, make, model and direction of travel
- Ask nearby businesses and homes about camera footage
- Keep a dated list of every step you take to trace it
Read next:Uninsured or unidentified vehicles
When the other driver won't give their details
For an injury claim, the insurer will usually ask for a police event number, which shows the crash was reported. Police don't attend every crash, but you can generally report one yourself afterwards. Do it promptly, especially if someone was hurt, the other driver left without swapping details, or you suspect they'd been drinking. Keep the number with your claim papers.
Sometimes the other driver refuses to give details, gives a false name or drives off before you can ask. Stay safe and don't follow them. Photograph or write down the number plate, the make, the colour and anything else you noticed, then report it to police. If the vehicle can be traced from its plate, the claim can go to its insurer as usual.
Read next:CTP claim forms
What to collect before the details fade
Keep one folder, paper or digital, for everything about the crash from the first day. Put in the other driver's details, photos, the police event number, any hospital or GP paperwork and receipts for costs like medication and travel. If the claim turns out to be simple, it saves time. If it becomes complicated, you'll be glad you started it early.
- Any police event number you were given
- A written note of what happened, made that day
- Receipts for medication, fares and parking at treatment
- Any claim or reference numbers from insurers
Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days
Let us sort out the kind of claim with you
A claim check is a short conversation, by phone or online, about your crash. We look at who was hurt, what was damaged and whether the other vehicle can be identified, then explain where each part goes. Many injury claims never need a lawyer. When one does, for example because the facts are unusual, we'll connect you with an independent lawyer.
A car accident claim without a lawyer: when it works
Many car accident injury claims are lodged and run without a lawyer, and property damage never comes through us at all. A lawyer is most useful when the kind of claim is unclear or the facts are complicated. These lists give a rough guide.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- The crash happened in a car park or driveway and cover is questioned
- The vehicle drove off and you're unsure what 'due inquiry and search' needs
- A property insurer wants a signed release that may mention injuries
- You're past 3 months from the crash and haven't claimed yet
You may not need one
- Treatment and a clear medical record are what you need most right now
- The other driver gave full details and police have the event number
- The insurer has accepted your injury claim and treatment is approved
Treatment comes first. We can put you in touch with doctors and allied health, from GPs to physiotherapists and psychologists, who know how CTP claims work, including the Certificate of Fitness.
Not quite your situation?
- If you already know it's a CTP injury claim and just want the steps and deadlines, the CTP claims page walks you through them. CTP claims in Burwood
- If the real argument is about who caused the crash, the car accident lawyer page explains how fault is decided. Car accident lawyer in Burwood
- Once you know the kind of claim you have, the car accident compensation page explains what you may receive and when. Car accident compensation in Burwood
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Police don't attend every crash, particularly where no one needs an ambulance and the road is clear. You can still report it yourself, and you should keep the event number you're given. A police report made close to the time is an independent record of the crash, which helps if the other driver later changes their story or the insurer questions what happened.
For the car, a private arrangement can sometimes work, but get it in writing. For injuries, be cautious. A cash payment from the driver doesn't replace an injury claim through CTP, and accepting one could complicate things if your injuries turn out to be worse than they seemed. Take their full details and registration anyway, report the crash if anyone was hurt, and keep your injury claim options open.
The injury claim form usually asks for one, and it helps show the crash happened when and how you say. If police attended, they'll give you the number. If they didn't, you can generally report the crash yourself afterwards and get one then. Not having an event number doesn't necessarily stop a claim, but it can make the insurer more cautious, so it's worth getting.
Write down or photograph the number plate, and note the make, colour and a description of the driver. Then report it to police, including that details weren't exchanged. A vehicle's CTP insurer can usually be found from its registration, so your injury claim can still go ahead. If you didn't get the plate, the Nominal Defendant may be the path instead, and your police report becomes even more important.
Generally, yes. If the vehicle had no CTP insurance, your injury claim goes to the Nominal Defendant, a NSW Government-backed fund that stands in for the missing insurer. The claim runs much like any other. Give the Nominal Defendant everything you know about the vehicle and driver, and report the crash to police promptly if you haven't already. Damage to your car is a separate matter and may have to be pursued against the driver.
Yes. It's not unusual for neck, back or psychological symptoms to appear a day or more after a crash. See a doctor as soon as you notice them and tell them about the accident, so the link is recorded. Remember the time limits run from the date of the accident, not from when the pain began. You can generally still claim up to 3 months after the accident, though weekly payments may then start from the claim date.
Car accident claim: suburbs near Burwood
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CTP Lawyer is not a law firm. This page is general information, not legal advice; the independent lawyer you speak with can advise on your own situation.