Canterbury-Bankstown · CTP claim denied

CTP disputes and reviews for Belmore

The insurer's decision is rarely the last word. The first deadline is generally 28 days, so start now.

Denied, cut off or classified as a threshold injury? Start by reading the decision carefully and noting the date you received it. The internal review window is generally 28 days. People in Belmore can handle much of a review in writing, and an independent CTP lawyer can help if the stakes are high. Our free claim check is a quick way to find out where you stand.

Postcode: 2192

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How to challenge a CTP decision, step by step

Most CTP decisions follow the same review path. The deadlines are short, so it helps to know the order before you start. Complaints about how the insurer behaves are a separate track.

  1. Step 1

    Read the decision letter

    Read the letter twice: once for what was decided, once for why. Write down the date you received it. If the reasons aren't clear, ask the insurer to explain them in writing.

  2. Within 28 days

    Ask for an internal review

    For most decisions, you can ask the insurer for an internal review, generally within 28 days of receiving the decision. Say what you disagree with and include any new evidence.

  3. 14 to 28 days

    The insurer decides

    The insurer usually has 14 days to decide the review. For some medical and miscellaneous matters it's 21 days, and up to 28 days if it needs more information from you.

  4. If you still disagree

    Apply to the Personal Injury Commission

    If internal review leaves the decision in place, the next step is generally an application to the Personal Injury Commission, an independent tribunal. What you're disputing decides which of its paths applies, such as merit review or medical assessment.

  5. 28 days from a certificate

    Medical assessment review

    If your dispute goes to medical assessment and you think the certificate is wrong, a review must generally be sought within 28 days of the certificate being issued.

  6. Any time

    Conduct complaints go to the IRO

    If your concern is how the insurer has treated you, such as delays or poor communication, that's a complaint, not a dispute. The Independent Review Office handles those complaints on 13 94 76.

General information, not legal advice. Timeframes are general, and some decisions follow different rules. Check your decision letter and get advice quickly.

Challenging a decision from Belmore

A crash on the Hume Highway, Canterbury Road or the M5 can end in a fault finding you disagree with. If the insurer's view of fault goes against you, the review window is generally 28 days, so gather police details and photos early. Around Belmore, Arabic are spoken in many homes. Disputes turn on detail, so don't guess at what a letter means. Call CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 and ask for an interpreter to help you understand the decision. At around 12 km from the Sydney CBD, living in Belmore is no disadvantage in a dispute. Review requests generally go in writing, many Personal Injury Commission steps can happen by phone or online, and our claim check works the same way.

Your review rights don't depend on your council, whether that's City of Canterbury-Bankstown or any other. Internal reviews and the Personal Injury Commission work the same way across NSW.

Region
Canterbury-Bankstown
Postcode
2192
Community languages
Arabic
Distance to Burwood
~4 km
Local government area
City of Canterbury-Bankstown

A refusal isn't the end of the road

Before deciding what to do, pin down three things: exactly what was decided, the reasons given, and the date you received the letter. The first two tell you what evidence might change the outcome. The third starts the clock, because an internal review is generally requested within 28 days. With those in hand, choosing between a review on your own and getting advice becomes much clearer.

Read next:CTP claim denied?

The decisions behind many disputes

The reasons vary, but some patterns are familiar. If you were driving for work, the insurer may say workers compensation comes first. If the claim was more than 3 months late, it may say your explanation isn't enough. If your scans show only soft tissue injury, it may classify it as threshold. Knowing the reason tells you what evidence to gather.

  • The claim was lodged late
  • You were found wholly or mostly at fault
  • A treatment request was declined
  • Your pre-accident earnings were set lower than you expected

Read next:Claim denied? Quick check

When your issue is how you were treated

A dispute is about a decision, such as whether your claim is accepted. A complaint is about conduct, such as delays, unanswered calls or unclear letters. Complaints about the conduct of CTP insurers go to the Independent Review Office (IRO) on 13 94 76, 8:30am to 5:30pm weekdays, or online at iro.nsw.gov.au. The IRO doesn't fund lawyers for CTP claims.

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Reviewing alone or with legal help

Some reviews are simple: supply the missing evidence and ask again. Others turn on legal questions or high stakes. Here's a general guide to which is which.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • Weekly payments were stopped and you can't work
  • You were driving for work and the insurer has refused on that basis
  • The dispute is heading to the Personal Injury Commission
  • Your injury was classed as threshold and it affects a damages claim

You may not need one

  • The insurer asked for a document you can easily provide
  • You agree with the decision once it's explained
  • A treatment request was declined for lack of information you can supply

If your threshold dispute depends on whether there's nerve damage or a tear, the right assessment matters. Ask us about doctors and allied health experienced with CTP claims, from diagnosis to the Certificate of Fitness.

Not quite your situation?

  • If you're not sure a dispute is worth taking on with legal help, the CTP lawyer page explains when a lawyer tends to be worth it. CTP lawyer in Belmore
  • If the dispute turns on whether your injury is more than threshold, the injury compensation page explains what the medical evidence needs to show. Injury compensation lawyer in Belmore
  • If you haven't had a decision yet and are still getting the claim in, start with the CTP claims page for Belmore. CTP claims in Belmore

When the argument is about your injury

A threshold decision about a psychological injury can be disputed like any other. If the insurer has classified yours as threshold and your treating practitioner disagrees, their written opinion is the starting point for an internal review. If the review doesn't resolve it, the dispute can go on to medical assessment at the Personal Injury Commission, where the 28-day window for a certificate review applies.

Read next:Threshold injury disputesWhen the insurer says “threshold injury”

Asking for an internal review

An internal review is a fresh look at the decision by the insurer. Ask in writing, generally within 28 days of receiving the decision. Say which decision you disagree with, why you think it's wrong and what outcome you want. Attach anything new: a report from your doctor, hospital records, payslips or witness details.

Don't wait until the last days of the window to start. Specialist reports and records can take time to arrive, and a rushed request is usually weaker. If some evidence won't be ready in time, lodge the request within the deadline anyway and tell the insurer what else is on its way.

The 28-day window

The review deadline is short: generally 28 days from receiving the decision. If you're unsure which date counts, work from the earlier one.

Read next:Insurer stopped my weekly payments

What the Commission does

The Personal Injury Commission, or PIC, is an independent tribunal that started on 1 March 2021. In the CTP scheme it handles merit review, medical assessment, miscellaneous claims assessment and claims assessment of damages claims. It replaced the older dispute bodies, so older material that sends you elsewhere is out of date.

Read next:The Personal Injury CommissionPIC disputes explained

What a dispute might cost

Because some disputes don't allow legal costs to be recovered, it's worth asking early whether paying for help makes sense in yours. For a straightforward review, you may manage alone with good evidence. For a threshold dispute that affects a damages claim, or a refusal of the whole claim, advice is more often worth it.

Read next:What does a CTP lawyer cost?

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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