Starting a CTP claim after a crash near Wollongong

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.

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.

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.

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.

• Log every call with the date and the name of the person
• Send updated certificates before the old one runs out
• Note the date on any decision letter

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
• The other driver's name and contact details
• Recent payslips, tax returns or business records
• Receipts for costs you've paid because of the crash
• Names and numbers of any witnesses

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.

Most of the early weeks after lodging are paperwork. The insurer may ask for tax returns, the other driver's details or a signed authority to collect records, and it will send its decision on liability and weekly payments. Keep every letter in date order. If a promised payment or decision is late, ask your case manager in writing when it's due, and call CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 if you're stuck.

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.