Some crashes leave a clear path: an identified driver, an insured car, an injury to claim for. Others don't. The driver may have left the scene, the car may have been unregistered, or the crash may have happened in a car park. We help people from East Killara work out what kind of claim the facts support, and where it should go first.
Upper North Shore & Hornsby · Car accident claims
East Killara car accident claims: injury, damage or drove off
A small crash can still be an injury claim. The kind of claim decides who you deal with.
Postcode: 2071
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in East Killara & Killara
Starting a claim after a crash in East Killara
Pennant Hills Road and the Pacific Highway carry heavy traffic, and a crash there may involve a driver heading north on the M1. Get their registration before they leave, since the injury claim follows the vehicle. If your crash was in a car park at or near Garigal National Park, note the level, bay or entry, and ask whoever runs the car park to keep any footage. It helps identify the other vehicle and supports your account. Whether it was on Koola Avenue or a quiet street, the same claim rules apply: injuries go to a CTP insurer, and damage to cars goes through property insurance. Record the location precisely either way.
There's no need to travel to Chatswood to sort out a claim. From East Killara, our claim check runs by phone and online, and it tells you which kind of claim the crash has actually given you.
- Region
- Upper North Shore & Hornsby
- Postcode
- 2071
- Local landmarks
- Garigal National Park · Koola Park
- Main roads
- Koola Avenue · Bushlands Avenue
- Distance to Chatswood
- ~5 km
The kinds of claim a car accident can lead to
People often ring about the car first because the damage is visible and the tow truck is waiting. The injury side can seem less urgent, especially if the pain comes later. Yet the injury claim has its own deadlines, running from the date of the crash. Treat the two as separate jobs from day one, even if you only need to act on one of them.
Read next:What can I claim? Quick check
Police event numbers and the other driver's 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.
A driver who won't cooperate at the scene doesn't stop your claim. What matters is the vehicle, not the driver's attitude. A number plate lets the vehicle's CTP insurer be identified. Without one, the claim may need to go to the Nominal Defendant instead, which is why a prompt police report and a record of what you saw matter so much.
Read next:CTP claim forms
Which claim do you have?
An injury, a damaged car and a missing driver are three different problems. The cards below show where each one generally goes. If more than one fits, you may have more than one claim running at once.
- 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 East Killara - 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
A crash while working is usually a work injury as well as a motor accident. Workers compensation generally comes first. You may still be able to claim damages from the at-fault driver's CTP insurer, which is worth checking before you settle anything.
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.
When a car accident claim needs legal help
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
- A property insurer wants a signed release that may mention injuries
- The vehicle drove off and you're unsure what 'due inquiry and search' needs
- The other driver disputes that the crash happened the way you say
- The insurer doubts that a small crash caused your injuries
You may not need one
- You just need to know which form to fill in
- Only your car was damaged and nobody was hurt
- Your symptoms are settling and you're back to your usual routine
If a small crash has left you sore, it can still be an injury claim. The deadlines run from the day of the crash, not from when the pain started, so don't wait to find out. The 28-day rule
Not quite your situation?
- Once you know you have an injury claim and want to get it lodged, the CTP claims page sets out each step in order. CTP claims in East Killara
- If the real argument is about who caused the crash, the car accident lawyer page explains how fault is decided. Car accident lawyer in East Killara
- 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 East Killara
Free claim check
Free car accident claim check
Wherever in NSW the crash happened, the check is by phone or online. It's free, and any next step is your call.
What to collect before the details fade
The first days set up whichever claim you end up making. Take photos of both cars, the road and any injuries you can see. Write down what happened in your own words while it's fresh. Keep the other driver's details, the police event number if you have one, and every receipt. If you're hurt, make sure the injury is recorded and linked to the crash from the start.
- Photos of both vehicles, the scene and any injuries
- Names and phone numbers of any witnesses
- Receipts for anything you've paid out since the crash
- Any claim or reference numbers from insurers
Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days
When the other vehicle drove off or wasn't insured
For an unidentified vehicle, you must make 'due inquiry and search' to try to find it. In practice that means reporting to police promptly, asking witnesses, checking for camera footage and noting anything you remember about the vehicle. Keep a record of each step you take. The Nominal Defendant will want to see that a genuine effort was made.
- Report it to police promptly and keep the event number
- Note the colour, make, model and direction of travel
- Keep a dated list of every step you take to trace it
Read next:Uninsured or unidentified vehicles
When a low-speed bump turns into an injury claim
Pain or stiffness sometimes shows up a day or two after a crash. If that happens, it can still be an injury claim. 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. Beyond 3 months, a late claim needs a full and satisfactory explanation.
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
If only property was damaged and nobody was hurt, there is no CTP claim, and the matter is between the drivers and their property insurers. We don't handle those claims. If someone was hurt as well, keep the two apart in your paperwork and your head. The repair claim can take weeks; the injury claim has deadlines that keep running regardless.
Be careful with anything you sign to settle the car side. Property insurers sometimes ask for a signed release when they pay. Read what it covers before you sign, and if it seems to mention injuries as well as property, get advice first. A release about your car should not quietly close off an injury claim.
Not sure which claim you have? Start with a free check
If you've read this far and still aren't sure which claim you have, that's normal. Our free claim check starts with what happened and works out which claim, or claims, the facts support. We'll tell you plainly if something isn't a CTP matter, such as car repairs. If it is, we'll point you to the next step, which is often simply lodging the injury claim yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Not the CTP insurer, which covers injuries only. Repairs usually go through your own comprehensive insurance, or a claim against the at-fault driver's property insurer if they have one. If they don't, you may need to pursue the driver directly, which can be slower. We don't help with property claims, but keep the repair paperwork anyway, because photos and quotes can help show how hard the impact was.
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.
The passenger makes their own injury claim, even if you, as the driver, weren't hurt. It generally goes to the CTP insurer of the vehicle at fault, which may be the car they were travelling in. Any claim of yours is separate, and damage to the car is a property matter for your insurer. CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can help the passenger identify the right insurer, and the same 28-day timing applies.
Yes. Symptoms such as neck or back pain sometimes appear a day or more after a crash. Make sure they're recorded and linked to the accident as soon as you notice them. 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.
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.
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.
Car accident claim: suburbs near East Killara
Related reading
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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.