How to lodge and run a CTP claim in Illawong

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.

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.

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

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.

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
• Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
• Hospital discharge summary, if you were admitted
• Your employer's name and contact details
• 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.

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.

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.

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.