Hawkesbury · CTP claims

The Slopes: your CTP claim, step by step

Most people can lodge a CTP claim themselves. We'll check yours for free and flag anything that needs more help.

Starting a CTP claim from The Slopes 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: 2754

  • Free claim check, no obligation
  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in The Slopes & Kurrajong

What people in The Slopes 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. Lodging a claim doesn't mean a trip to Windsor, 13 km away. From The Slopes, 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
Hawkesbury
Postcode
2754
Public hospital in the region
Hawkesbury District Health Service
Distance to Windsor
~13 km

Your first months: the CTP claim timeline

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

    For accidents from 1 April 2023, a claim made after 28 days but within 3 months may still be back-paid if you give a full and satisfactory explanation. If the insurer doesn't reject it within 14 days, it's treated as accepted.

  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

    For the first 13 weeks, payments are up to 95% of what you earned before the accident. After week 13 the rate becomes up to 80% or 85%; your earning capacity decides which. A legislated 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.

Lodging your claim: the practical steps

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

Why the Certificate of Fitness matters

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

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.

  • 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

Your claim paperwork checklist

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.

  • Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
  • Your Certificate of Fitness
  • Hospital discharge summary, if you were admitted
  • Receipts for treatment, medication and travel
  • Names and numbers of any witnesses

Read next:Checklist: your first 30 days

Is this a claim you can run yourself?

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 says you were mostly at fault
  • The insurer has refused to accept the claim
  • Your claim went in more than 3 months after the accident
  • Another driver was at fault and your injury is more than threshold

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 injury is healing well within the first months

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 The Slopes
  • 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 The Slopes
  • 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 The Slopes
Two people going through a bound document together, one pointing at a clause

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A quick check for claims from The Slopes

Lodged or not, a free claim check tells you what to do next. No obligation and no office visit.

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When the 52-week limit applies

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

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.

Keep in mind that treatment funding is a decision, not a given. Your treating team sends requests, and the insurer considers whether the treatment is reasonable and necessary. Keep receipts for anything you pay yourself. If a request is declined, you can ask for an internal review, generally within 28 days of receiving the decision.

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

When to get more help

Help comes in different forms. For treatment and medical evidence, doctors and allied health practitioners who know the CTP scheme are often the right first call. For disputes and damages, an independent CTP lawyer. For general questions, CTP Assist on 1300 656 919. Our free claim check helps you work out which of these you need.

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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