How to lodge and run a CTP claim in Brisbane Grove

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.

Once your claim is lodged, the insurer usually assigns a case manager. They're your main contact for payments, benefit 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.

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

Lodging starts the insurer's clock as well as yours. The insurer generally confirms it has your claim, gives you a claim number and puts a case manager in charge of it. Expect requests for more detail about your earnings and the crash, and a form asking for your consent to collect records. Reply quickly and keep copies, because slow replies can hold up a decision on your weekly payments.

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
• Your Certificate of Fitness
• Your employer's name and contact details
• 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.

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 the evidence points the other way, 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.