Wickham: your CTP claim, step by step

There are two main ways to lodge: the Service NSW online form, or the CTP insurer itself. Either way, you'll be asked for the accident date and place, the vehicles involved, your injuries, your employer and income, and the doctors treating you. Most people can complete it themselves in one go if they have the details to hand.

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.

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
• Recent payslips, tax returns or business records
• Your employer's name and contact details

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.

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.

Once your claim is lodged, the insurer usually assigns a case manager. They're your main contact for payments, treatment 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.

• Send updated certificates before the old one runs out
• Keep copies of everything you send
• Ask what a request is for if it's unclear

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.