Penrith & the Nepean · CTP claim denied

Denied CTP claim in Jordan Springs: the review path

Internal review first, then the Personal Injury Commission. Check your options free, by phone or online.

A letter refusing your CTP claim can feel final. It usually isn't. Most insurer decisions can be challenged, first by internal review and then at the Personal Injury Commission. If you live in Jordan Springs and the insurer has said no, our free claim check looks at the decision and its deadlines, and connects you with an independent CTP lawyer if a dispute is worth pursuing. Some aren't, and we'll tell you.

Postcode: 2747

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Your review path

Insurers make decisions under the scheme rules, and the scheme also sets out how to challenge them. These are the main steps and the timeframes that generally apply.

  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

    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 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.

What a review looks like from Jordan Springs

If Nepean Hospital treated you and the insurer has cut off treatment or payments, your records and your doctor's reasons are the heart of a review. Ask for them straight away. Jordan Springs is about 4 km north-east of Penrith, but challenging a decision doesn't mean travelling there. Internal reviews are generally requested in writing, and our claim check runs by phone and online. Coming under Penrith City Council makes no difference to a CTP dispute. The same review steps and deadlines apply in Jordan Springs as in any other part of NSW, because the scheme is statewide.

Region
Penrith & the Nepean
Postcode
2747
Distance to Penrith
~4 km
Local government area
Penrith City Council

Most decisions can be challenged

Insurers make decisions under the scheme rules: whether to accept a claim, how much to pay, what treatment to fund, whether an injury is threshold. Most of them can be challenged. The first step is an internal review, which you generally need to request within 28 days of the decision reaching you. If that doesn't resolve it, the Personal Injury Commission can decide.

Read next:CTP claim denied?

Taking a dispute further

Applying to the Commission is more formal than an internal review. There are forms, timeframes and evidence rules, and the insurer will usually have its own representatives. Many people get legal advice at this stage. Keep in mind that SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service doesn't cover matters already at the Commission.

Read next:The Personal Injury CommissionPIC disputes explained

Medical and threshold disputes

Medical disputes often come down to evidence. If the insurer says your injury is threshold, or that treatment isn't reasonable and necessary, the answer is usually a clear report from your treating doctor or specialist explaining the diagnosis and the need. If the dispute reaches medical assessment at the Commission, a certificate review must generally be sought within 28 days of issue.

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

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Do you need a lawyer to challenge a decision?

Many people handle an internal review themselves. Disputes that reach the Personal Injury Commission, or that affect a damages claim, are where legal advice more often helps.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • Weekly payments were stopped and you can't work
  • A medical assessment certificate seems wrong
  • You've been found mostly at fault
  • You've missed the review deadline

You may not need one

  • Your doctor can clearly answer the insurer's question in a report
  • You agree with the decision once it's explained
  • The decision was about a small, one-off expense

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 Jordan Springs
  • 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 Jordan Springs
  • If nothing has been decided yet and your claim is still being set up, the CTP claims page covers the lodging steps instead. CTP claims in Jordan Springs

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 injury was classed as a threshold injury
  • You were found wholly or mostly at fault
  • The crash is being treated as a work injury
  • A treatment request was declined

Read next:Claim denied? Quick check

When your issue is how you were treated

CTP Assist and the IRO are different services with different roles. CTP Assist, on 1300 656 919, gives information and support about claims. The IRO, on 13 94 76, handles complaints about how CTP insurers behave. Neither decides disputes about your entitlements; that's the job of internal review and the Personal Injury Commission.

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.

After you ask, the insurer usually has 14 days to decide. Some medical and miscellaneous matters allow 21 days, and up to 28 days if the insurer needs more information. While you wait, keep sending updated Certificates of Fitness if you're off work, and keep a record of every contact about the review.

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

What a dispute might cost

Free help is limited once a dispute is under way. The CTP Legal Advisory Service that SIRA funds stops short of matters already at internal review or before the Personal Injury Commission. CTP Assist can still give general information. For advice on the dispute itself, you'll generally need an independent lawyer.

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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