A CTP claim is how you access weekly payments and other statutory benefits after a NSW motor accident. For many people in Kogarah Bay, it's a form, a few documents and some follow-up with the insurer. For others, it becomes the start of a dispute. This page walks through the steps and deadlines, and our free claim check tells you whether your situation needs a lawyer or just a clear plan.
St George & Bayside · CTP claims
CTP claims for people in Kogarah Bay
Most people can lodge a CTP claim themselves. We'll check yours for free and flag anything that needs more help.
Postcode: 2217
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Kogarah Bay & Carss Park
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.
Day 0
The accident
Safety 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.
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.
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.
Within 3 months
The last point to claim
Three months after the accident is the practical cut-off. Later claims can only be accepted in limited circumstances, usually with a full and satisfactory explanation. If you're past it, speak to a lawyer straight away.
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.
52 weeks
The threshold and at-fault line
At 52 weeks, people with a threshold injury, and people wholly or mostly at fault, generally stop receiving weekly payments and treatment and care. For accidents between 1 December 2017 and 31 March 2023, that limit was 26 weeks.
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 the claim: where and how
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?
If more than one vehicle was involved, or you don't have the other driver's details, CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can help identify the right insurer.
Read next:CTP formsThe personal injury claim form
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
Lodging a claim when you live in Kogarah Bay
Whether the crash was on General Holmes Drive, Forest Road or the M5 East, the order is the same: report it to police, gather the other driver's details, then lodge within 28 days if you can. At roughly 15 km from the Sydney CBD, Kogarah Bay is no further from the CTP system than anywhere else. The Service NSW claim form is online, insurers work by phone and email, and our claim check is by phone and online. Crashes on the Princes Highway, Carwar Avenue and Connells Point Road are claimed the same way as anywhere else in NSW. What matters for the form is the police event number and the other vehicle's registration, which tells you which CTP insurer to claim against.
- Region
- St George & Bayside
- Postcode
- 2217
- From the Sydney CBD
- ~15 km
- Main roads
- Princes Highway · Carwar Avenue
Free claim check
Lodging soon? Get a free claim check
Tell us where your claim is up to. The check is free, there's no obligation, and it's all by phone or online.
Dealing with the insurer day to day
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.
- Keep copies of everything you send
- Note the date on any decision letter
- Ask what a request is for if it's unclear
The first decisions on your claim
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.
Read next:What happens after you lodge
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 anything out of pocket because of the crash, keep the receipts too. Missing something shouldn't stop you lodging on time.
- Police event number
- Date, time and place of the crash
- Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
- The other driver's name and contact details
- Receipts for costs you've paid because of the crash
Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days
Weekly payments and the other benefits
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.
The other half of statutory benefits is treatment and care that is reasonable and necessary for your accident injuries, within whatever benefit period applies to you. It isn't automatic: each request is a decision the insurer makes under the scheme rules, and it should tell you the outcome in writing. If you pay for something yourself, keep the receipt. If a request is declined, you can ask for an internal review.
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
Signs your claim needs more than a form
Help comes in different forms. For general questions about the scheme, CTP Assist on 1300 656 919. For statutory benefits questions, SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service. For disputes and damages, an independent CTP lawyer. Our free claim check helps you work out which of these you need, if any.
Read next:Do I need a lawyer? Quick check
Lodging alone, or with help?
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
- Someone died in the crash
- You've been asked to sign a release or settlement
- The insurer says you were mostly at fault
- Weekly payments stopped earlier than you expected
You may not need one
- The insurer has accepted your claim
- Your weekly payments arrive on time and the amount looks correct
- Your injury is healing well within the first months
A claim runs on paperwork. Keep every letter from the insurer in date order, note the day each decision arrived, and send anything it asks for promptly, keeping a copy for yourself. CTP forms explained
Not quite your situation?
- If you're not sure a CTP claim is even the right claim, for example because only your car was damaged, start with the car accident claim page. Car accident claim in Kogarah Bay
- If your main question is whether to bring in a lawyer, the CTP lawyer page for Kogarah Bay explains when legal help is worth it. CTP lawyer in Kogarah Bay
- If a decision has already gone against you, the claim denied page explains internal review and what comes after it. CTP claim denied in Kogarah Bay
Frequently asked questions
A CTP claim pays statutory benefits as you go, and most injured people can claim them regardless of who was at fault. They include weekly payments if you can't work, or can't work as much, and treatment and care that is reasonable and necessary for your injuries. How long they last depends on your injury, your share of fault and your accident date. CTP covers people, not vehicles, so car repairs are a separate matter.
Generally up to 104 weeks, or 2 years. For a threshold injury, or if you were wholly or mostly at fault, they generally stop at 52 weeks for accidents from 1 April 2023. Beyond 104 weeks, payments continue only in limited cases where a damages claim is still pending, which how compensation works explains. Keep your Certificates of Fitness current throughout, because gaps can interrupt payments.
They're a percentage of your pre-accident earnings: up to 95% for the first 13 weeks, then up to 80% or 85% from week 14, depending on your earning capacity. They're subject to a legislated maximum weekly amount that is indexed each year, which is why we don't quote a dollar figure. The insurer works out your rate from your earnings information, so make sure it has the full picture.
Generally yes, if your Certificate of Fitness says you have some capacity for work. Weekly payments may be adjusted to take account of what you earn after the accident, so tell the insurer about any work or income straight away. Keep your payslips and a note of your hours. If a change in your hours affects your payments, ask the insurer to explain the new amount in writing.
Tell the insurer in writing as soon as you notice, give the correct details and keep a copy. Honest corrections are a normal part of a claim. What causes problems is leaving wrong information on the file, particularly about your earnings or how the crash happened. If the mistake has already affected a decision, ask whether it will be reconsidered, and remember you can generally seek an internal review within 28 days.
No. It helps to send one with your claim, because the insurer uses the Certificate of Fitness to see your injuries and what work you can do, and that affects weekly payments. But lodging on time matters more. If you don't have one yet, lodge within 28 days anyway and send the certificate when you get it. Keep updated certificates coming while you're off work, as gaps can hold up payments.
CTP claims: suburbs near Kogarah Bay
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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.