Northern Rivers & Clarence · CTP claims

Making a CTP claim from Banora Point

The 28-day and 3-month deadlines, the Certificate of Fitness and weekly payments, explained plainly.

Starting a CTP claim from Banora Point is mostly about getting the basics in on time. The claim form, the Certificate of Fitness and proof of income do most of the work. Things get harder when the insurer questions your injury, your fault or your delay. That's when an independent CTP lawyer may help, and our free claim check can tell you if you've reached that point.

Postcode: 2486

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Your first months: the CTP claim timeline

From the day of the crash to the two-year mark, this is how a typical claim for statutory benefits is timed. Your own claim may differ, especially if the insurer disputes something.

  1. Day 0

    The accident

    Your health comes first, then the paperwork. Report the accident to police, keep the event number, and write down the date, time and place while they're fresh, since the claim form asks for all three.

  2. Within 28 days

    Lodge your claim

    Lodge your claim for statutory benefits within 28 days of the accident so weekly payments can generally be back-paid to the day after. You can lodge through Service NSW online or with the CTP insurer.

  3. Within 14 days of your explanation

    A late claim, explained

    For accidents from 1 April 2023, a claim made after 28 days but within 3 months may still be back-paid if you give a full and satisfactory explanation. If the insurer doesn't reject it within 14 days, it's treated as accepted.

  4. Within 3 months

    The last point to claim

    Claims can still be made up to 3 months after the accident, though weekly payments may then only start from the date of the claim. After 3 months, claims are accepted only in limited circumstances.

  5. Weeks 1–13, then 14+

    Weekly payment rates

    Weekly payments are up to 95% of your pre-accident earnings for the first 13 weeks. From week 14 they're up to 80% or 85%, depending on your earning capacity. An indexed maximum applies.

  6. 52 weeks

    The threshold and at-fault line

    For accidents from 1 April 2023, statutory benefits for a threshold injury, or where you were wholly or mostly at fault, generally end 52 weeks after the accident. Children 16 and under keep treatment and care as long as needed.

  7. 104 weeks

    Weekly payments generally end

    At the 104-week mark, weekly payments generally end. They can run longer only while a common law damages claim is pending, and how much longer depends on the level of impairment.

General information, not legal advice. Dates depend on your accident date and circumstances. Rules change, so check the current rules.

Lodging the claim: where and how

There are two main ways to lodge: the Service NSW online form, or the CTP insurer itself. Either way, you'll be asked for the accident date and place, the vehicles involved, your injuries, your employer and income, and the doctors treating you. Most people can complete it themselves in one go if they have the details to hand.

Not sure which insurer?

CTP Assist, run by SIRA, can help you work out which CTP insurer to claim against. Call 1300 656 919, 8:30am to 5pm weekdays.

Read next:CTP formsThe personal injury claim form

Your doctor's part in the claim

Ask your GP for a Certificate of Fitness at your first visit after the crash, and keep getting updated ones while you're off work or on reduced hours. Gaps between certificates can cause gaps in payments. If your doctor isn't familiar with CTP forms, a practitioner who knows the scheme can make the process easier.

Read next:The Certificate of Fitness

What people in Banora Point need to lodge a claim

Near the border, check that your crash happened in NSW before you lodge. A crash in Queensland generally falls under Queensland's scheme, and the forms and deadlines differ. CTP Assist can help if you're unsure. If Tweed Valley Hospital admitted you, note the dates of your stay and when you were discharged. Days in hospital are days you couldn't work, and the insurer will want them on the claim form alongside your first Certificate of Fitness. Lodging a claim doesn't mean a trip to Tweed Heads, 5 km away. From Banora Point, the claim form can be completed online, most insurer contact happens by phone and email, and our free claim check works the same way.

Region
Northern Rivers & Clarence
Postcode
2486
Nearest public hospital
Tweed Valley Hospital
Distance to Tweed Heads
~5 km
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Working with the insurer and your case manager

Once your claim is lodged, the insurer usually assigns a case manager. They're your main contact for payments, treatment requests and paperwork. Keep a simple log of each call: the date, who you spoke with and what was agreed. If something is promised by phone, ask for it by email so you have a record.

  • Send updated certificates before the old one runs out
  • Keep copies of everything you send
  • Note the date on any decision letter

Read next:Dealing with your insurer and case manager

When the 52-week limit applies

Some claims are capped at 52 weeks. For accidents on or after 1 April 2023, people whose injury is classed as a threshold injury can receive weekly payments and treatment and care for up to 52 weeks after the accident. The threshold label replaced the older term “minor injury” on that date. Whether an injury is threshold is a medical question in its own right; for running the claim, the point is the time limit it sets.

Read next:Threshold vs non-threshold injury

Weekly payments and treatment

If the injury affects your work, weekly payments are generally based on your pre-accident earnings, and the percentage steps down after the first 13 weeks. The insurer relies on your earnings records to set the rate and on your Certificate of Fitness to know what work you can do. There's an indexed maximum, and payments generally stop after 104 weeks.

Keep in mind that treatment funding is a decision, not a given. Your treating team sends requests, and the insurer considers whether the treatment is reasonable and necessary. Keep receipts for anything you pay yourself. If a request is declined, you can ask for an internal review, generally within 28 days of receiving the decision.

Rules change

The scheme has changed more than once since 2017. What applies to you depends on your accident date, so check the current rules before relying on any detail.

Read next:CTP weekly paymentsCTP entitlements

What you'll need to lodge

You don't need a perfect file to lodge. Start with the basics you have, then add documents as they arrive. Insurers generally ask for more information later, and it's better to lodge within 28 days with a gap in the paperwork than to wait for every page and lose back-pay.

  • Police event number
  • Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
  • Recent payslips, tax returns or business records
  • Your employer's name and contact details
  • Receipts for treatment, medication and travel

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

Help beyond lodging

Many people lodge and manage a CTP claim on their own. It's worth getting help when the insurer refuses the claim, classifies your injury as threshold when your doctor disagrees, stops payments, or argues about fault. It's also worth asking a lawyer about damages if your injury is more than threshold and someone else was at fault.

Read next:What help do I need?

Do you need a lawyer to make a CTP claim?

Lodging a CTP claim is something most people do without any legal help. A few situations change that. Here's a quick guide to which is which.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • The insurer's reasons for a decision don't make sense to you
  • Your injury has been classed as threshold and your doctor disagrees
  • The insurer says you were mostly at fault
  • Another driver was at fault and your injury is more than threshold

You may not need one

  • You need help understanding a question on the form
  • The insurer has accepted your claim
  • Your treatment requests are being approved

Treatment is often the first gap, not legal help. We can connect you with doctors and allied health experienced with CTP claims, from the Certificate of Fitness to physiotherapy and psychology.

Not quite your situation?

  • If you're not sure a CTP claim is even the right claim, for example because only your car was damaged, start with the car accident claim page. Car accident claim in Banora Point
  • If you're weighing up whether your claim needs a lawyer at all, the CTP lawyer page covers when one helps and when it doesn't. CTP lawyer in Banora Point
  • If the insurer has already refused your claim or cut off payments, the page on denied claims covers the review steps and deadlines. CTP claim denied in Banora Point

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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