Sydney CBD & inner city · CTP claim denied

CTP disputes and reviews for Millers Point

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

Insurers make decisions under the scheme rules, and sometimes those decisions go against you. For people in Millers Point, the way to challenge them is the same as anywhere in NSW: ask for an internal review, generally within 28 days, then apply to the Personal Injury Commission if you still disagree. Our free claim check helps you work out whether a challenge is worth making and who can help.

Postcode: 2000

  • Free claim check, no obligation
  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in Millers Point & Barangaroo

How to challenge a CTP decision, step by step

Here's the usual route when you disagree with an insurer's decision. Not every dispute needs every step, and some decisions have their own rules, but this is the general shape.

  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

    Request the review in writing, inside the 28-day window that generally applies. The insurer looks at the decision again, so explain clearly why you think it's wrong and attach anything it didn't have.

  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 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.

Millers Point: reviews without the travel

Even close to Central or Wynyard, there's no need to visit anyone to challenge a decision. Review requests are generally made in writing, and much of a Personal Injury Commission matter can be handled by phone or online. Your review rights don't depend on your council, whether that's City of Sydney or any other. Internal reviews and the Personal Injury Commission work the same way across NSW.

Region
Sydney CBD & inner city
Postcode
2000
Local government area
City of Sydney

You can ask for a second look

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?

Medical and threshold disputes

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”

Complaints versus disputes

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.

Two people going through a form together at a kitchen table, with a calculator and a laptop

Free claim check

Check your review options, free

A free, no-obligation claim check by phone or online. We'll look at the decision and the deadline, and connect you with an independent lawyer if needed.

Free · No obligation

When a dispute calls for 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

  • The whole claim has been refused
  • You were driving for work and the insurer has refused on that basis
  • The dispute is heading to the Personal Injury Commission
  • Weekly payments were stopped and you can't work

You may not need one

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

Many disputes turn on medical evidence. If you need a clear report on your diagnosis, or an up-to-date Certificate of Fitness, we can point you to doctors and allied health familiar with CTP claims.

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 Millers Point
  • When the real argument is how serious your injury is, the injury compensation page for Millers Point covers impairment and the threshold line. Injury compensation lawyer in Millers Point
  • 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 Millers Point

Decisions people often ask about

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
  • The crash is being treated as a work injury
  • Your pre-accident earnings were set lower than you expected
  • The insurer says the injury wasn't caused by the crash

Read next:Claim denied? Quick check

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

How to request a 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

Paying for help with a review

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

Ready to talk it through?

Get a free, no-obligation claim check. It's the first step toward understanding where your claim stands and what help it needs.

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.

Call now(02) 7238 7379Free claim check