Hawkesbury · CTP claims

A plain guide to CTP claims for Kurrajong

The 28-day and 3-month deadlines, the Certificate of Fitness and weekly payments, explained plainly.

The first weeks after a crash are busy, and the CTP claim can slip down the list. It shouldn't. People in Kurrajong face the same deadlines as everyone in NSW: 28 days for back-paid weekly payments and 3 months to claim at all, with only limited exceptions. We can check where your claim is up to for free, and point you to legal or medical help only where it's actually needed.

Postcode: 2758

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Your first months: the CTP claim timeline

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

    The 28-day mark is the one to aim for: claims received by then generally have weekly payments back-paid to the day after the accident. Lodging sooner also means the evidence is fresh.

  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

    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 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?

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

What people in Kurrajong need to lodge a claim

If Hawkesbury District Health Service or Nepean Hospital treated you, keep the discharge papers with your police event number. Those two documents answer most of the early questions on a claim form. At roughly 61 km from the Sydney CBD, Kurrajong 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.

Region
Hawkesbury
Postcode
2758
Nearest public hospital
Hawkesbury District Health Service
Distance to Windsor
~15 km
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Dealing with the insurer day to day

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.

  • Ask for important decisions in writing
  • Keep copies of everything you send
  • Ask what a request is for if it's unclear

Read next:Dealing with your insurer and case manager

Threshold injuries and your benefit period

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

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.

  • Date, time and place of the crash
  • Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
  • Recent payslips, tax returns or business records
  • Your employer's name and contact details
  • Names and numbers of any witnesses

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

The Certificate of Fitness

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

Signs your claim needs more than a form

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.

Read next:What help do I need?

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's reasons for a decision don't make sense to you
  • The insurer has refused to accept the claim
  • You've been asked to sign a release or settlement
  • Someone died in the crash

You may not need one

  • The insurer has accepted your claim
  • You need help understanding a question on the form
  • 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 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 Kurrajong
  • If your main question is whether to bring in a lawyer, the CTP lawyer page for Kurrajong explains when legal help is worth it. CTP lawyer in Kurrajong
  • If a decision has already gone against you, the claim denied page explains internal review and what comes after it. CTP claim denied in Kurrajong

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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