How to lodge and run a CTP claim in Blaxlands Ridge

Before you lodge, report the accident to police if you haven't already. The claim form generally asks for the police event number, and the insurer will usually want to see that the crash was reported. Then complete the form online through Service NSW or with the insurer, attaching your Certificate of Fitness if you already have one.

Think of the claim as three bundles of evidence: what happened, how it has affected you, and what it's costing you. The first is police and vehicle details. The second is the certificates and records that describe your injuries. The third is proof of earnings and receipts. Lodge on time even if one bundle isn't complete yet.

• Police event number
• Date, time and place of the crash
• Your Certificate of Fitness
• The other driver's name and contact details
• Names and numbers of any witnesses

After you lodge, the insurer works through a few questions: is this a valid claim, what did you earn before the accident, and which benefits apply to you? Your answers, the police report and your payslips feed into each one. You'll hear from a case manager, and decisions should arrive in writing with reasons. If one doesn't look right, you can generally ask for an internal review within 28 days of receiving it.

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 question in its own right, and it can be disputed; for running the claim, the point is the time limit it sets.

Income support is the part of a CTP claim most people ask about first. The insurer can only pay the right amount if it knows what you earned before the accident and what you can earn now, so send your earnings records early and tell it about any return to work. A maximum weekly amount applies and is indexed every year, so check the current figure with the insurer rather than relying on an old one.

Think of treatment and care as a benefit the insurer decides case by case rather than a blank cheque. The test is whether it's reasonable and necessary, and the benefit period that applies to you sets the outer limit. Keep a running list of what's been requested, approved and declined. That list is useful if you ever need to challenge a decision.

Insurers make decisions under the scheme rules, and your case manager is the person who passes them on. Most contact is routine: updated certificates, benefit decisions, payment questions. Reply promptly, keep copies of what you send, and ask for written reasons for any decision you don't understand. You can challenge decisions if you need to.

• Log every call with the date and the name of the person
• Send updated certificates before the old one runs out
• Reply to requests promptly

If you lodged late, the stakes are higher: claims more than 3 months after the accident are accepted only in limited circumstances. The same goes if you've received a settlement offer or a letter you don't understand. In those situations, an independent lawyer's view is usually worth getting sooner rather than later.