A dented bumper and a sore neck are two separate claims with two different insurers. People often sort the car first and forget the injury, then find the deadlines have been running. If you were in a crash in or near Leichhardt, our free check helps you keep the two apart and start the injury side on time. It's free, by phone or online, with no obligation.
Inner West · Car accident claims
Car accident claim in Leichhardt: which kind do you have?
CTP covers people, not cars. Knowing which claim is which saves time in the first weeks.
Postcode: 2040
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Leichhardt & Annandale
What kind of claim is this?
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 Leichhardt - 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
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
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.
Starting a claim after a crash in Leichhardt
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. If your crash was in a car park at or near the Italian Forum, 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. If you were taken to Royal Prince Alfred 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
- Inner West
- Postcode
- 2040
- Local landmarks
- Italian Forum · Leichhardt MarketPlace
- Main roads
- Parramatta Road · Norton Street
- Nearest public hospital
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
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.
The kinds of claim a car accident can lead to
A crash can create two quite separate claims. One is for injuries to people, which in NSW runs through CTP insurance, the Green Slip every registered vehicle carries. The other is for damage to vehicles and property, which runs through property insurance. They involve different insurers, different forms and different rules. Settling one does nothing to settle the other.
Read next:Which help do I need? Quick check
Starting a claim well in the first week
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.
- Photos of both vehicles, the scene and any injuries
- A written note of what happened, made that day
- Names and phone numbers of any witnesses
- Receipts for medication, fares and parking at treatment
Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days
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.
- Ask nearby businesses and homes about camera footage
- Take the details of anyone who stopped or saw it
- Keep a dated list of every step you take to trace it
Read next:Uninsured or unidentified vehicles
Damage to your car: a separate claim
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.
Small crashes and symptoms that show up later
A crash doesn't need to be dramatic to cause an injury. Low-speed bumps, especially from behind, can strain the neck and back, and some people also feel anxious about driving afterwards. If you're hurt, it's an injury claim, however small the damage to the cars. What matters is that a doctor records your symptoms and links them to the crash.
Deadlines run from the crash
Time limits for an injury claim count from the date of the accident, not the day the pain started. If you're unsure, check early rather than late.
Read next:The 28-day rule for CTP claims
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
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.
Do you need a lawyer for a car accident claim?
Knowing the kind of claim you have is half the answer. The other half is whether anything about it is unusual: a vehicle that drove off, a crash while working, or an insurer questioning the injury. Here's a quick guide.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- A property insurer wants a signed release that may mention injuries
- The other vehicle turned out to be unregistered or uninsured
- You're past 3 months from the crash and haven't claimed yet
- The vehicle drove off and you're unsure what 'due inquiry and search' needs
You may not need one
- You just need to know which form to fill in
- The other vehicle is identified and insured, and your claim is lodged
- Treatment and a clear medical record are what you need most right now
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?
- 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 Leichhardt
- If the real argument is about who caused the crash, the car accident lawyer page explains how fault is decided. Car accident lawyer in Leichhardt
- 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 Leichhardt
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Car accident claim: suburbs near Leichhardt
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.