St George & Bayside · Car accident claims

Car crash claim in Turrella? Start with the kind of claim

A small crash can still be an injury claim. The kind of claim decides who you deal with.

Most people have never made a claim after a crash and don't know where to begin. For people in Turrella, we start with the basics: were you hurt, was a vehicle damaged, and can the other vehicle be identified? The answers decide who you deal with. Many injury claims run smoothly without a lawyer. When yours needs one, we'll connect you with an independent lawyer.

Postcode: 2205

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Turrella: where crashes happen and what to record

Forest Road and King Georges Road have busy shopping strips and car parks. A bump while parking can still leave someone hurt, and that injury is a separate claim from the damage to either car. If your crash was in a car park at or near Wolli Creek Regional 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. Local traffic runs on Henderson Street, Bayview Avenue and Wollongong 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.

Turrella is about 5 km north-east of Hurstville, and that has no bearing on which claim you have. Working out whether it's an injury claim, a damage claim or both happens by phone and online, with no trip needed.

Region
St George & Bayside
Postcode
2205
Local landmarks
Wolli Creek Regional Park · Turrella Reserve
Main roads
Henderson Street · Bayview Avenue
Distance to Hurstville
~5 km

An injury claim and a damage claim are different claims

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:What can I claim? Quick check

When the other driver won't give their details

A police report made close to the time is useful evidence that the crash happened when and how you say. If police came to the scene, ask for the event number before they leave. If they didn't, report it yourself as soon as you can. Insurers generally treat a claim with no police record more cautiously, so it's worth the effort even for a small crash.

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

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 Turrella
  • 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.

Do you need a lawyer for a car accident claim?

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 vehicle drove off and you're unsure what 'due inquiry and search' needs
  • You're past 3 months from the crash and haven't claimed yet
  • A property insurer wants a signed release that may mention injuries
  • The crash happened in a car park or driveway and cover is questioned

You may not need one

  • The insurer has accepted your injury claim and payments have started
  • You just need to know which form to fill in
  • Only your car was damaged and nobody was hurt

Damage to your car is a separate matter from any injury. Repairs go through property insurance, while injuries go to a CTP insurer, so keep the two claims apart from the start. CTP forms

Not quite your situation?

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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.

  • Report it to police promptly and keep the event number
  • 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

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 paperwork about your injuries and receipts for costs you've paid. 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
  • Any police event number you were given
  • A note of any time off work and lost pay
  • Receipts for anything you've paid out since the crash

Read next:Checklist for the first 30 days

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.

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.

When a low-speed bump turns into an injury claim

A crash doesn't need to be dramatic to lead to an injury claim. Low-speed bumps, especially from behind, can still hurt people. If you're hurt, it's an injury claim, however small the damage to the cars, and it goes to a CTP insurer rather than through your car insurance. What matters for the claim is that the injury is recorded and linked to the crash, and that you lodge on time.

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

Let us sort out the kind of claim with you

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

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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.

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