The words get confusing quickly after a crash: CTP, Green Slip, third party property, comprehensive, Nominal Defendant. For people in Kentlyn, we translate them into one plain answer about the kind of claim you have. Then we point you to the next step, which might be lodging an injury claim yourself, seeing a doctor, or talking to an independent lawyer.
Macarthur & Wollondilly · Car accident claims
A car accident claim from Kentlyn, sorted by type
An injury claim, a damage claim and a hit-and-run claim each go somewhere different. We help you tell which you have.
Postcode: 2560
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Kentlyn & Minto Heights
A car accident claim from Kentlyn: local context
On Appin Road, Picton Road or Remembrance Driveway, a vehicle that hits you may not stop. Report it to police promptly and note anything you remember, because an unidentified vehicle has its own claim path. Around Simmos Beach Reserve, 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. Local traffic runs on Georges River Road, Mansfield Road and Bensley Road. After a crash on any of them, move somewhere safe before exchanging names, addresses and registration numbers. If anyone is hurt, report it to police and keep the event number for the claim.
If you were taken to Campbelltown Hospital or seen by a doctor soon after, that record shows the crash caused an injury. It is often what turns a crash that seemed damage-only into an injury claim.
- Region
- Macarthur & Wollondilly
- Postcode
- 2560
- Local landmarks
- Simmos Beach Reserve
- Main roads
- Georges River Road · Mansfield Road
- Nearest public hospital
- Campbelltown Hospital
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:Which help do I need? Quick check
Repairs, write-offs and hire cars
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.
What kind of claim is this?
Most crashes lead to one or more of the claims below. They go to different places and run under different rules. Start with the card that matches what happened, then follow its link.
- 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 Kentlyn - Your car was damaged
Car and property damage is a separate claim
CTP covers people, not cars. Repairs usually go through your own comprehensive insurance or a claim against the at-fault driver or their insurer. It isn't something we help with, but it shouldn't delay your injury claim.
What CTP does and doesn't cover - Hit-and-run or uninsured
A driver who fled or had no Green Slip
If the vehicle drove off and can't be identified, or had no CTP insurance, you can claim against the Nominal Defendant, a NSW Government-backed fund. Report the crash to police promptly and make due inquiry and search for the vehicle.
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
If someone died, CTP generally covers reasonable funeral expenses regardless of fault. Close relatives who depended on them may also be able to claim. CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can put you in touch with support.
After a fatal crash
General information, not legal advice. Some crashes involve more than one claim. Time limits apply.
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
- 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
- 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
If a small crash has left you sore, a doctor's record is what makes it an injury claim. Ask us about doctors and allied health who understand CTP claims and the Certificate of Fitness.
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 Kentlyn
- If the real argument is about who caused the crash, the car accident lawyer page explains how fault is decided. Car accident lawyer in Kentlyn
- 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 Kentlyn
Free claim check
Free car accident claim check
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.
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
When the other vehicle drove off or wasn't insured
An unregistered or uninsured vehicle is a different problem from a vehicle that can't be found. If you know which vehicle it was but it had no Green Slip, the Nominal Defendant generally deals with the injury claim instead of an insurer. The driver may still be personally responsible for other losses, which is a separate question to raise with a lawyer.
- Report it to police promptly and keep the event number
- Note the colour, make, model and direction of travel
- Ask nearby businesses and homes about camera footage
Read next:Uninsured or unidentified vehicles
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. Then see a doctor and tell them it was a car accident, so the link is recorded from the start.
- A written note of what happened, made that day
- Hospital or GP paperwork from the first visit
- Receipts for medication, fares and parking at treatment
- Any claim or reference numbers from insurers
Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days
Reporting the crash and swapping 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.
If a driver refuses to swap details, don't argue. Note the plate and a description of the car and the driver, and ask anyone nearby whether they saw it. Report the refusal to police with those details. A vehicle's CTP insurer can usually be found from its registration later, provided someone wrote it down.
Read next:CTP claim forms
Why a claim check comes before the paperwork
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.
Frequently asked questions
You can generally claim against the Nominal Defendant, which deals with injury claims when a vehicle can't be identified. You must make 'due inquiry and search' to try to identify the vehicle, starting with a prompt police report. The same 28-day rule applies as for any other claim, so lodge within 28 days of the accident if you want weekly payments back-paid to the day after it.
Yes, but they are two separate claims that run side by side. The injury claim goes to a CTP insurer, and the car goes to your own or the other driver's property insurer. One doesn't wait for the other, and settling the car doesn't settle your injuries. Keep separate folders, and don't sign any release for the car that also mentions injuries without getting advice.
Often it can be, although it depends on the details. Many car parks open to the public fall within the CTP scheme when a vehicle is being driven and someone is hurt. A private driveway or a closed-off area can raise harder questions. Note the exact level, bay or entry, photograph the scene and ask the centre to keep any camera footage. Then have your situation checked before assuming you can't claim.
You can, if you were injured. Many people with genuine injuries never go to hospital, particularly after a low-speed crash. What matters is that a doctor sees you, records your symptoms and notes that they came from the crash. See a GP as soon as you can and keep that record. The injury claim then runs in the usual way, whether or not there was an ambulance or an emergency visit.
Not always. 'Car accident claim' is an everyday phrase that can mean an injury claim, a claim for damage to your car, or both. In NSW, an injury claim runs through CTP insurance, the Green Slip on every registered vehicle. Damage to the car is a separate property claim with a different insurer. If you were hurt, the CTP injury claim is the one with the tighter deadlines, so start there.
It means making a genuine effort to identify the vehicle that hit you. Reporting to police promptly is the starting point. Beyond that, it can include asking witnesses, requesting camera footage from nearby businesses, checking with neighbours and, in some cases, a public appeal for witnesses. Keep a dated note of each step and everyone you contacted, because you may be asked to show what you did.
Car accident claim: suburbs near Kentlyn
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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.