How to lodge and run a CTP claim in Boxers Creek

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 any witnesses. Most people can complete it themselves in one go if they have the details to hand.

The 52-week limit isn't only about threshold injuries. For accidents from 1 April 2023, it generally applies too if you were wholly or mostly at fault, whatever your injury. For accidents between 1 December 2017 and 31 March 2023, both limits were 26 weeks instead. Children who were 16 or under at the time of the accident are an exception: they can receive treatment and care for as long as they need it, regardless of fault.

The claim goes more smoothly with a few things ready: the police event number, the other vehicle's registration, your Certificate of Fitness, payslips or tax records showing what you earned, and your employer's details. If you've paid for anything out of pocket because of the crash, keep the receipts too. Missing something shouldn't stop you lodging on time.

• Date, time and place of the crash
• Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
• Recent payslips, tax returns or business records
• Receipts for costs you've paid because of the crash
• Names and numbers of any witnesses

Weekly payments replace part of your income while the injury keeps you off work or on reduced hours. The insurer sets your rate from what you earned before the accident, so give it the full picture from the start: every job you held and the hours you usually worked. A legislated maximum applies and is indexed each year, so the cap itself changes over time.

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.

Most of the early weeks after lodging are paperwork. The insurer may ask for tax returns, the other driver's details or a signed authority to collect records, and it will send its decision on liability and weekly payments. Keep every letter in date order. If a promised payment or decision is late, ask your case manager in writing when it's due, and call CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 if you're stuck.

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.

• Ask for important decisions in writing
• Send updated certificates before the old one runs out
• Note the date on any decision letter

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.