How to lodge and run a CTP claim in Hillsdale

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.

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.

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.

Statutory benefits also include treatment and care, but only where it's reasonable and necessary and within your benefit period. For running the claim, the practical points are simple: ask before you commit to a large cost, keep every receipt, and get decisions in writing. A declined request is a decision like any other, and you can generally ask for an internal review within 28 days of receiving it.

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.

• Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
• 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

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
• 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.