Inner West · CTP claims

Starting a CTP claim after a crash near Stanmore

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

Starting a CTP claim from Stanmore is mostly about getting the basics in on time. The claim form, the Certificate of Fitness and proof of income do most of the work. Things get harder when the insurer questions your injury, your fault or your delay. That's when an independent CTP lawyer may help, and our free claim check can tell you if you've reached that point.

Postcode: 2048

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Lodging a claim when you live in Stanmore

Hurt on Parramatta Road, Victoria Road or in the WestConnex tunnels? Report it to police and keep the event number. The claim form asks for it, and the insurer will generally want the crash to have been reported. If Royal Prince Alfred 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 the Sydney CBD, 5 km away. From Stanmore, 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
Inner West
Postcode
2048
Nearest public hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Distance to the Sydney CBD
~5 km

Key dates in a NSW CTP claim

These are the dates that shape most statutory benefits claims in NSW. Missing an early one can cost weeks of payments, so it helps to know them before you need them.

  1. Day 0

    The accident

    Your health 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.

  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

    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.

  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

    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.

  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.

Getting your claim in

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

Threshold injuries and your benefit period

Plan around the 52-week mark if it applies to you. Keep your Certificates of Fitness current, keep treatment going as your doctor recommends, and ask the insurer in writing what will happen to payments and treatment when the period ends. If you think the threshold decision itself is wrong, you can ask for an internal review, generally within 28 days of receiving it.

Read next:Threshold vs non-threshold injury

What the insurer pays for

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.

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

The Certificate of Fitness

The Certificate of Fitness is where your medical story meets the insurer. It lists your injuries and says what work, if any, you can do. If a certificate misses an injury or overstates your capacity, weekly payments may not reflect your situation, so read each one before it goes to the insurer and raise anything wrong with your doctor.

Read next:The Certificate of Fitness

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

  • Your injury has been classed as threshold and your doctor disagrees
  • The insurer's reasons for a decision don't make sense to you
  • Another driver was at fault and your injury is more than threshold
  • Your claim went in more than 3 months after the accident

You may not need one

  • You just need to know which insurer to claim against
  • You need help understanding a question on the form
  • Your treatment requests are being approved

Treatment is often the first gap, not legal help. We can connect you with doctors and allied health experienced with CTP claims, from the Certificate of Fitness to physiotherapy and psychology.

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 Stanmore
  • 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 Stanmore
  • 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 Stanmore
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Working with the insurer and your case manager

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.

  • Log every call with the date and the name of the person
  • Ask for important decisions in writing
  • Note the date on any decision letter

Read next:Dealing with your insurer and case manager

Documents to gather before you start

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
  • Your Certificate of Fitness
  • Hospital discharge summary, if you were admitted
  • Receipts for treatment, medication and travel

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

Help beyond lodging

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?

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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