After a car crash in Tempe, the first question is often simply what kind of claim you have. Injuries go to a CTP insurer. Damage to your car goes through property insurance, which isn't something we help with. If the other driver drove off or had no insurance, a different body steps in. Our free claim check sorts out which applies to you, then points you to the right help.
Inner West · Car accident claims
A car accident claim from Tempe, sorted by type
CTP covers people, not cars. Knowing which claim is which saves time in the first weeks.
Postcode: 2044
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Tempe & Wolli Creek
Which claim do you have?
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
Injuries from a crash in NSW are generally claimed through CTP insurance, whoever caused the crash. The claim usually goes to the insurer of the vehicle at fault. Lodging early matters, so start once you've seen a doctor.
CTP claims in Tempe - 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
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
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 Tempe
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 Tempe homemaker centre, 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 the Princes Highway 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.
Hospitals serving the area include Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and St George 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
- 2044
- Local landmarks
- Tempe homemaker centre · Cooks River
- Main roads
- Princes Highway · Unwins Bridge Road
- Nearest public hospital
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
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 kind of claim does a crash near Tempe give you?
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
No insurer to claim from? What happens then
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.
- Report it to police promptly and keep the event number
- Ask nearby businesses and homes about camera footage
- Take the details of anyone who stopped or saw it
Read next:Uninsured or unidentified vehicles
Small crashes and symptoms that show up later
People often decide not to claim because they 'only' had a small crash, then find weeks later that the injury isn't settling. By then the deadlines have been running since the day of the crash. If you were sore after a collision, it's sensible to see a GP, keep the record and at least find out what claim you have, even if you never end up needing it.
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
When the other driver won't give their details
At the scene, swap names, addresses and registration numbers with every driver involved, and ask for their insurer if they know it. Photograph the other vehicle's plate and the driver's licence if they agree. If the other vehicle is a work, rental or rideshare car, note the company too. These details are what connect your injury claim to the right insurer.
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
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.
- Photos of both vehicles, the scene and any injuries
- The other driver's name, address, licence and registration
- Any police event number you were given
- Names and phone numbers of any witnesses
Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days
Damage to your car: a separate claim
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.
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.
Why a claim check comes before the paperwork
Getting the claim type right early saves time and avoids missed deadlines. There's no charge for the claim check and no obligation to go further. It covers the injury side of a car accident, and it can also point you to doctors and allied health if treatment is what you need first. Property damage we'll simply point back to your insurer.
When a car accident claim needs legal help
Whether you need a lawyer depends on the kind of claim you have and how smoothly it's going. A straightforward injury claim against an identified, insured vehicle often doesn't need one. The points below show when advice is commonly worth it.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- You were driving for work and aren't sure which claim comes first
- Someone died in the crash and the family needs guidance
- The other driver disputes that the crash happened the way you say
- A property insurer wants a signed release that may mention injuries
You may not need one
- The insurer has accepted your injury claim and treatment is approved
- Treatment and a clear medical record are what you need most right now
- Your symptoms are settling and you're back to your usual routine
Whatever kind of claim you have, the injury side rests on medical records. We can point you to doctors and allied health who work with CTP claims and can complete the Certificate of Fitness the insurer asks for.
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 Tempe
- If you're being blamed by the other driver or their insurer, fault is covered in detail on the car accident lawyer page. Car accident lawyer in Tempe
- If you want to know what an injury claim can actually pay, and when, the car accident compensation page covers it. Car accident compensation in Tempe
Frequently asked questions
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Tempe
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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.