Riverina & Murray · CTP claims

Corowa: your CTP claim, step by step

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

Most CTP claims begin the same way: an accident, a visit to the doctor and a form. What happens next depends on your injury, your work and the insurer's decisions. This guide explains each stage for people in Corowa, with honest notes on when you can manage alone and when it's worth getting help from a lawyer, a doctor or allied health.

Postcode: 2646

  • Free claim check, no obligation
  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in Corowa & Albury

Lodging a claim when you live in Corowa

Near the Murray, confirm the crash happened on the NSW side before lodging. Victoria has its own scheme with different forms and rules, and CTP Assist can help if the location is unclear. If Albury 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 Albury, 50 km away. From Corowa, 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
Riverina & Murray
Postcode
2646
Nearest public hospital
Albury Hospital
Distance to Albury
~50 km

How a CTP claim unfolds over time

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

    Get medical help first. Then report the crash to police and note the event number, which the claim form asks for. The other vehicle's registration helps identify the right insurer later.

  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

    Lodged late, but inside 3 months, for an accident from 1 April 2023? Explain the delay fully. An explanation the insurer hasn't rejected within 14 days is treated as accepted, so back-pay can still apply.

  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

    For the first 13 weeks, payments are up to 95% of what you earned before the accident. After week 13 the rate becomes up to 80% or 85%; your earning capacity decides which. A legislated 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

    Two years in, weekly payments generally stop unless you've lodged a damages claim that's still pending. To keep them going past 2 years, that damages claim must be lodged within 2 years of the accident.

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

You can lodge a claim for statutory benefits online through Service NSW, or directly with the relevant CTP insurer. If you're not sure which insurer that is, CTP Assist (1300 656 919) can help you identify it. The form asks about the accident, your injuries, your work and the treatment you've had so far, so have those details close by.

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 case manager and what to expect

Your case manager will ask for updated Certificates of Fitness, may request medical reports and may arrange an assessment with a doctor the insurer chooses. Attend any assessment you're asked to, and keep your own notes afterwards. If you think a decision is wrong, ask for an internal review rather than letting it sit.

  • Keep copies of everything you send
  • Note the date on any decision letter
  • Ask what a request is for if it's unclear

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

Your claim paperwork checklist

Think of the claim as three bundles of evidence: what happened, what it did to your body, and what it's costing you. The first is police and vehicle details. The second is hospital records and your Certificate of Fitness. 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
  • Your employer's name and contact details
  • Receipts for treatment, medication and travel

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

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
  • Weekly payments stopped earlier than you expected
  • Another driver was at fault and your injury is more than threshold

You may not need one

  • You just need to know which insurer to claim against
  • Your injury is healing well within the first months
  • You're lodging within 28 days with the paperwork ready

A claim runs on medical evidence. If you don't yet have a GP who'll complete a Certificate of Fitness, we can point you to doctors and allied health who know the CTP scheme.

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 Corowa sorts that out first. Car accident claim in Corowa
  • 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 Corowa
  • 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 Corowa
Two women talking at a cafe by Sydney Harbour

Free claim check

Check your claim before the deadline

Tell us where your claim is up to. The check is free, there's no obligation, and it's all by phone or online.

Free · No obligation

Why the Certificate of Fitness matters

In NSW CTP claims, your doctor fills in a Certificate of Fitness recording your injuries and your capacity for work. The first one generally goes in with your claim, and updated certificates follow as you recover. It's the document insurers rely on for weekly payments, so make sure it lists all your injuries, including any that appeared days later.

Read next:The Certificate of Fitness

Weekly payments and treatment

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.

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

Benefit rules depend on your accident date and have changed over time. This is general information; check the current rules or ask CTP Assist.

Read next:CTP weekly paymentsCTP entitlements

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

Ready to talk it through?

Get a free, no-obligation claim check. It's the first step toward understanding where your claim stands and what help it needs.

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.

Call now(02) 7238 7379Free claim check