Goulburn & Southern Tablelands · CTP claims

Starting a CTP claim after a crash near Carrick

Most people can lodge a CTP claim themselves. We'll check yours for free and flag anything that needs more help.

Starting a CTP claim from Carrick 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: 2580

  • Free claim check, no obligation
  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in Carrick & Goulburn North

What people in Carrick need to lodge a claim

If Goulburn Base Hospital treated you, or you were moved to Canberra Hospital, ask both for records. A claim form is easier to complete when the full treatment history is in front of you. Carrick is about 14 km east of Goulburn, but there's nowhere you need to drive. Claims can be lodged online through Service NSW, and our claim check runs by phone and online, so you can deal with it all from home.

Region
Goulburn & Southern Tablelands
Postcode
2580
Public hospital in the region
Goulburn Base Hospital
Distance to Goulburn
~14 km

Key dates in a NSW CTP claim

These are the dates that shape most statutory benefits claims in NSW. Missing an early one can cost weeks of payments, so it helps to know them before you need them.

  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 your claim: the practical steps

Lodging is mostly a matter of answering the form honestly and completely. Describe every injury you know about, even ones that seem small, and list each practitioner you've seen. If you're unsure of an answer, give the most accurate answer you can and say so, rather than leaving it blank. The insurer can ask follow-up questions, and it generally will, so a clear first account saves trouble later.

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

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.

Your CTP insurer covers treatment and care for accident injuries where it's reasonable and necessary, within whatever benefit period applies to you. That can include doctor visits, physiotherapy, medication and some travel for treatment. The insurer decides each request, and decisions can be reviewed, so ask before committing to large treatment costs.

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

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

Documents to gather before you start

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 treatment or medication, keep the receipts too. Missing something shouldn't stop you lodging on time.

  • Police event number
  • Hospital discharge summary, if you were admitted
  • Your employer's name and contact details
  • Receipts for treatment, medication and travel
  • Names and numbers of any witnesses

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

Lodging alone, or with help?

Lodging is usually straightforward. What happens afterwards is where some claims need legal help. These lists show common signs either way; the claim check can give you a clearer answer.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • The insurer has refused to accept the claim
  • The insurer's reasons for a decision don't make sense to you
  • Your claim went in more than 3 months after the accident
  • Your injury has been classed as threshold and your doctor disagrees

You may not need one

  • Your weekly payments arrive on time and the amount looks correct
  • Your injury is healing well within the first months
  • You're lodging within 28 days with the paperwork ready

If your claim is stuck because the paperwork from your treating team is thin, doctors and allied health familiar with CTP claims can help with a clear Certificate of Fitness, records and treatment plans.

Not quite your situation?

  • If you're still working out what kind of claim you have after the crash, the car accident claim page for Carrick sorts that out first. Car accident claim in Carrick
  • 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 Carrick
  • 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 Carrick
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The 52-week limit and who it applies to

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.

Read next:Threshold vs non-threshold injury

Dealing with the insurer day to day

Insurers make decisions under the scheme rules, and your case manager is the person who passes them on. Most contact is routine: updated certificates, treatment approvals, 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
  • Ask for important decisions in writing
  • Keep copies of everything you send

Read next:Dealing with your insurer and case manager

When to get more help

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?

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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