Eastern Suburbs · CTP claim denied

CTP claim denied? Help for people in Bondi Junction

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

When a CTP insurer refuses a claim or stops payments, the decision letter generally sets out its reasons. Those reasons are your starting point. For people in Bondi Junction, the next step is usually an internal review, then the Personal Injury Commission if needed. We can check your situation for free and, if your dispute calls for one, put you in touch with an independent CTP lawyer.

Postcode: 2022

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  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in Bondi Junction & Charing Cross

Challenging a decision from Bondi Junction

If Prince of Wales Hospital or St Vincent's Hospital records support your case, include them with your review request. Fresh medical evidence can be what changes a decision on review. At around 4 km from the Sydney CBD, living in Bondi Junction 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 Waverley Council or any other. Internal reviews and the Personal Injury Commission work the same way across NSW.

Region
Eastern Suburbs
Postcode
2022
From the Sydney CBD
~4 km
Local government area
Waverley Council

You can ask for a second look

A decision you disagree with is a reason to act, not to give up. Start with the reasons in the letter. Some refusals turn on missing information you can supply. Others turn on a legal question, such as fault or the threshold definition, where advice helps. Either way, the review path is open for most decisions.

Read next:CTP claim denied?

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”

Decisions people often ask about

Not every decision is a flat refusal. Sometimes the claim is accepted but limited: benefits capped at 52 weeks, weekly payments set lower than you expected, or a particular treatment declined. These partial decisions can matter as much as a refusal over time, and most can be reviewed in the same way.

  • 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

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The Personal Injury Commission

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

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 clock generally runs for 28 days from the day the decision reached you. Note the date the letter arrived, not just the date printed on it.

Read next:Insurer stopped my weekly payments

The IRO and what it handles

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.

Legal costs in a dispute

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?

From decision letter to the Commission

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

    Note the date you received it, what was decided and the reasons given. The date matters, because the time to ask for a review generally runs from when you receive the decision.

  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

    Expect a review decision in about 14 days in most cases, 21 days for some medical and miscellaneous matters, and up to 28 days where the insurer needs more information.

  4. If you still disagree

    Apply to the Personal Injury Commission

    If the internal review doesn't resolve things, you can generally apply to the Personal Injury Commission. It's independent of the insurer and decides disputes under the scheme rules.

  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

    Unhappy with the insurer's conduct rather than its decision? Contact the Independent Review Office on 13 94 76, 8:30am to 5:30pm weekdays, or online. It's a separate path from a review.

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

When a dispute calls for legal help

Whether you need a lawyer depends on what was decided and what's at stake. Use these lists to get a sense of it, then get a free claim check for your own situation.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • You've missed the review deadline
  • The refusal is based on your claim being late
  • The dispute is heading to the Personal Injury Commission
  • The whole claim has been refused

You may not need one

  • You mainly want to complain about delays or communication
  • Your doctor can clearly answer the insurer's question in a report
  • The insurer asked for a document you can easily provide

When treatment is declined, the fix is often a clearer explanation of why it's needed. We can connect you with doctors and allied health who know how the scheme assesses requests and what a Certificate of Fitness should record.

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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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