Canterbury-Bankstown · Motor vehicle accident claims

Not in a car? A motor accident lawyer for Belmore

Came off, knocked down or hurt as a passenger? Start with whether it counts as a motor accident.

If you were hurt near Belmore while riding a motorbike, cycling, walking, or travelling in a truck, bus, taxi or rideshare, the first question is whether it counts as a motor accident. In broad terms, NSW CTP covers injuries caused when a registered motor vehicle is used or operated. Most crashes with one are covered. Some are not. Our free check sorts out which side of that line you're on.

Postcode: 2192

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Usually covered, or check first?

Riders, pedestrians and passengers often aren't sure whether their crash counts. The first list shows situations that are usually covered. The second shows ones that often aren't, and are worth checking before you give up on a claim.

Usually a CTP (motor accident) claim

  • A car, truck, bus or motorbike hit you while you were walking, riding or cycling
  • You were a pillion, or a passenger on a bus, in a taxi or in a rideshare car
  • Someone opened the door of a parked car into your path
  • An unsecured load or a loose trailer caused your crash (generally)
  • A driver forced you off the road without touching you (it turns on the evidence)

Often not a CTP claim: check first

  • You came off your bicycle and no motor vehicle played any part
  • An e-scooter or bicycle rider knocked you down on a footpath
  • You were hurt at a track day, race meeting or other closed-circuit event
  • A pothole or loose gravel was the only cause of your fall
  • A quad bike or unregistered trail bike on private land was involved

General information, not legal advice. Whether an incident is a motor accident depends on the facts. Time limits apply.

Getting around Belmore on two wheels, on foot or by bus

Shopping strips at Bankstown, Campsie and Lakemba are busy with people on foot, especially in the evenings. A pedestrian hit by a car there generally claims through that car's CTP insurer. Near Belmore station, buses pull in and out, taxis and rideshare cars stop briefly, and people cross between them. Injuries in that mix are often motor accidents, so note the vehicle's registration or route number. On Canterbury Road or a side street, a crash with a motor vehicle is generally a CTP matter. If only the road surface brought you down, a cyclist usually has no CTP claim, though a motorcyclist's own Green Slip may still pay.

Busy places such as the Belmore Sports Ground, Belmore Park and the Roselands shopping centre bring people on foot, cyclists and turning cars together. A pedestrian hit in a car park open to the public may still have a CTP claim, depending on the details.

Region
Canterbury-Bankstown
Postcode
2192
Getting around
Belmore station · bus stops on Canterbury Road
Main roads
Canterbury Road · Burwood Road
Local landmarks
Belmore Sports Ground · Belmore Park
Nearest public hospital
Canterbury Hospital

What counts as a motor accident

In NSW, a motor accident is generally an incident involving the use or operation of a motor vehicle that causes an injury. You don't need to have been driving, or even in a vehicle. A pedestrian, a cyclist, a pillion passenger and a bus passenger can all be injured in a motor accident. For accidents from 1 December 2017, the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 sets the rules.

Getting into or out of a vehicle is a common grey area. If a passing car hit you as you stepped out, or your driver moved off while you were halfway out, the injury may come from the use of a motor vehicle. Whether it does depends on exactly what happened, so write it down while it's fresh and have it checked.

Passengers, drivers for hire and delivery work

Rideshare and taxi drivers are in a different position from their passengers. Many rideshare drivers are engaged as contractors rather than employees, which can make CTP their main path after a crash: statutory benefits from the at-fault vehicle's insurer, or their own vehicle's if they caused it. It depends on the actual arrangement, so have it checked before lodging.

If you were delivering when a vehicle hit you, the order of claims matters. Where you were working as an employee, workers compensation generally comes first and CTP benefits aren't usually paid on top, though a damages claim against the driver's CTP insurer may remain. If you're a contractor, CTP may be the main path. Any platform cover sits alongside these, on its own terms.

Read next:Rideshare and taxi accident claims

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If you were on a motorbike

Missing or inadequate gear can become an argument: the insurer may claim a particular injury would have been less serious with proper protection. Where the evidence backs that up, contributory negligence can reduce the claim by a percentage. If the rider is found more than 61% at fault, the damages claim is lost, and statutory benefits are generally limited to the first 52 weeks. Keep damaged gear unrepaired, and photograph it from every side.

Broken bones, torn ligaments, nerve damage and head injuries are common in motorcycle crashes. Those are generally not threshold injuries, which matters for how long benefits run and whether damages may be possible. Make sure each doctor records every injury, not just the most painful one, and links it to the crash in their notes.

Read next:Motorcycle accident claims

Crashes with trucks: what's different

Heavy-vehicle crashes often draw in more people than a car crash: an operator, perhaps a separate trailer owner, a company that loaded the truck, and other drivers. Your injury claim still starts in one place, the CTP insurer of the vehicle at fault. Questions about the other parties can wait, and a lawyer can look at them if a damages claim follows.

Injuries from a crash with a heavy vehicle are often serious: fractures, head injuries and injuries to the spine. Medical evidence needs to cover every injury, and early legal advice can be worth having because more parties and more records are involved. That doesn't mean you need a lawyer to lodge, only that the file can become complex.

If you were on foot

A pedestrian hit by a car, truck, bus or motorbike claims against that vehicle's CTP insurer. You don't need a car or a licence. Drivers must keep a lookout for pedestrians, yet blame doesn't always sit with the driver alone. An insurer may argue you contributed, for example by crossing against the lights, which can reduce some later entitlements without stopping the claim.

When a driver says you stepped out suddenly, video from a shop, a bus or a council camera may show otherwise. Ask the owner in writing to keep it, giving the date, time and exact spot. Do it quickly, or have someone do it for you while you recover, because many systems record over within days.

Read next:Pedestrian accident claims

Cyclists, e-bikes and e-scooters

Dooring is one of the more common ways cyclists are hurt in busy streets. A car door opened into your path is generally part of using that car, even while it's parked, so the injury claim goes to its CTP insurer. Before the car leaves, record its plate and who opened the door, and photograph the door and where you fell.

Where a shared path crosses a driveway or a car park entry, bikes and cars meet at an angle drivers don't always check. If a car pulling in or out hit you there, you may have a claim against its insurer. Photograph the path markings, any give-way signs and the view the driver would have had.

Read next:Cyclist accident claims

What to keep, depending on how you were travelling

For crashes involving trucks, buses and rideshare cars, the operator may hold records you don't: onboard cameras, telematics, trip logs and driver hours. They aren't kept forever. Note the company, the route or fleet number and the time, and ask early. For passengers, a trip receipt or card record shows you were on board.

  • Your ride-tracking or GPS file from the day
  • Photos of the crossing, lane markings or bike lane
  • Written requests for shop, station or bus footage
  • A screenshot of the rideshare or delivery trip

Read next:At-fault self-check

Riders, pedestrians and passengers: when a lawyer helps

The CTP scheme covers most road users, but the edge cases are where people get stuck. If the insurer says your crash isn't a motor accident, or your working arrangement complicates things, advice is often worth having.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • A heavy vehicle was involved and several parties are pointing at each other
  • A truck or bus operator's records may matter and need to be kept
  • Cover is disputed because you were riding an e-bike or e-scooter
  • The insurer says your crash wasn't a motor accident at all

You may not need one

  • What you need first is a doctor to treat and record your injuries
  • You came off a bicycle alone and just need to confirm it isn't a CTP matter
  • Your injuries are healing and treatment is being approved

Riders, cyclists and pedestrians often have several injuries at once. We can point you to doctors and allied health who work with CTP claims and can record each one on the Certificate of Fitness.

Not quite your situation?

  • If you were inside a car when it crashed, whether driving or as a passenger, the car accident lawyer page covers fault for you. Car accident lawyer in Belmore
  • If the vehicle that hit you drove off or had no insurance, or you aren't sure what claim this is, start with the car accident claim page. Car accident claim in Belmore
  • If you already know it's a motor accident and just want to know whether a lawyer is worth it, see the CTP lawyer page. CTP lawyer in Belmore

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