Riders, cyclists and pedestrians often have little between them and the vehicle, so injuries can be serious. That makes the right claim path matter. We're not a law firm. For people around Green Point, we check whether your crash falls within the CTP scheme, which insurer is involved, and whether an independent lawyer should look at it.
Central Coast · Motor vehicle accident claims
Motor vehicle accident lawyer help for Green Point
Riders, pedestrians, cyclists and passengers: whether the NSW motor accident scheme covers what happened to you.
Postcode: 2251
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Green Point & Empire Bay
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 Green Point on two wheels, on foot or by bus
Plenty of Central Coast commuters take the train to Sydney. People walking to Gosford, Tuggerah or Wyong stations who are hit by a vehicle generally claim through that vehicle's CTP insurer. 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. Riders and cyclists share Avoca Drive with cars and heavy vehicles. If a vehicle forced you off or turned across you, you may have a claim against its insurer even without contact.
Shared paths, driveways and car park entries are where cars most often cross the path of cyclists and walkers. Photograph the layout and any signs, because fault can turn on who should have given way.
- Region
- Central Coast
- Postcode
- 2251
- Main roads
- Avoca Drive
- Nearest public hospital
- Gosford Hospital
The motor accident test, in plain terms
Most crashes involving a car, truck, bus or motorbike are motor accidents, whoever was hurt. The harder cases sit at the edges: a fall from a bicycle with no vehicle involved, an e-scooter on a footpath, a crash at a closed track, an injury while getting out of a vehicle. The rules are technical, and small facts can change the answer.
Where you were matters too. Crashes on public roads are the core of the scheme, but a car park open to the public or a driveway can also be covered, depending on how the vehicle was being used. A crash at a racetrack, or on private land with an unregistered vehicle, usually isn't. When the setting is unusual, get it checked before assuming either way.
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
Free claim check
Riders, walkers, passengers: free check
Ring (02) 7238 7379 or send us the basics online. There's no charge and no obligation, and we'll tell you whether the CTP scheme covers your crash.
Trucks and heavy vehicles
When a truck is to blame, the injury claim is made to that truck's CTP insurer. Nothing about the scheme or its time limits changes because the vehicle was a heavy one. What can differ is the evidence. Many trucks carry forward-facing cameras, some record location and speed, and heavy-vehicle drivers may keep work diaries. None of it will necessarily exist, and it may not be kept for long.
If you think a truck's camera, its telematics or the driver's work diary would help show what happened, raise it early. Police may obtain some records during an investigation, and the insurer may request others. A lawyer can formally ask the operator to keep records, which matters because some are overwritten or discarded after a while.
Riders: solo crashes, gear and lane position
A rider hit by a car or truck makes the same kind of claim a driver would, against the insurer of the vehicle at fault. A rider who came down alone isn't shut out either: the bike's own Green Slip may pay statutory benefits. For a rider found wholly or mostly at fault, those generally run for the first 52 weeks only, with no damages claim, which is still far from nothing.
When a pothole, oil or loose gravel is the only reason a rider came down, there is usually no other vehicle's Green Slip to claim against. The rider's own bike insurer may still pay statutory benefits. Any complaint about how a road was maintained sits outside CTP, with its own rules and time limits, so get advice early if that's your situation.
Read next:Motorcycle accident claims
Walking, crossing and car parks: pedestrian claims
Pedestrian injuries can be serious because there's nothing between you and the vehicle. Fractures, hip and pelvic injuries and head injuries are common. Statutory benefits are available to most injured pedestrians whoever caused the crash, and a damages claim may be possible where the driver was at fault. Ask your doctors to note each injury, including the less obvious ones.
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
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.
- Helmet, handlebar or dashcam footage, saved as the original file
- Your damaged helmet and gear, kept unrepaired
- A screenshot of the rideshare or delivery trip
- Names and numbers of witnesses who stopped
Read next:At-fault self-check
Do you need a lawyer after a motor accident?
Many riders, cyclists and pedestrians run their own claim once it's clear the crash counts as a motor accident. Advice matters more when cover is questioned, several parties are involved or the injuries are serious. These lists are a rough guide.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- You were delivering or driving for a platform and aren't sure which claim comes first
- Cover is disputed because you were riding an e-bike or e-scooter
- The crash happened near a state border and the scheme is unclear
- Your injuries include fractures, a head injury or nerve damage
You may not need one
- A pedestrian claim against an identified car is progressing smoothly
- 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
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 driving or a passenger in a car and the question is who caused the crash, the car accident lawyer page fits better. Car accident lawyer in Green Point
- 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 Green Point
- 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 Green Point
Frequently asked questions
A child who was 16 or under at the time can get the treatment and care they need for as long as they need it, and that doesn't depend on fault, even if they ran onto the road. A parent or guardian usually lodges the claim with the car's CTP insurer. Other entitlements may depend on fault and the injury. Keep school and medical records together, as some effects only become clear over time.
Where the crash was the truck driver's fault, your injury claim is made to the insurer on the truck's Green Slip, as it would be for a car. You don't claim against the trucking company or the driver personally. Their records still matter, because dashcam footage, telematics and the driver's hours can help show what happened. Lodge on time and mention early that the truck may hold footage, so it can be requested before it's overwritten.
It depends which vehicle was to blame. When the rider carrying you caused the crash, the claim goes to the Green Slip insurer of that motorbike. When a car or truck caused it, the claim goes to that vehicle's insurer instead. You weren't in control of the bike, so fault is rarely argued against you, though protective gear can occasionally come up. Your claim is against the insurer, not against the rider, even if they're your partner.
Generally, yes. For a crash that happened in NSW, the NSW scheme usually applies, even when the vehicle is registered elsewhere. Identifying the right insurer can take a little longer, so give the insurer or CTP Assist the truck's plate, its state of registration, any company name and the exact location. Don't wait for that to be sorted before lodging, because the usual time limits still run from the date of the crash.
Possibly. The insurer may say that boots, gloves, a jacket or a helmet would have prevented or lessened a particular injury. If it can show that on the evidence, your claim may be reduced for contributory negligence, usually by a percentage. It rarely wipes out a claim, and it can't be assumed: medical opinion about how each injury happened matters. Cyclists face the same argument about helmets. Ask how any percentage was reached.
Buses carry CTP insurance like any registered vehicle, and a pedestrian hit by one generally claims through that policy. Write down the route, the time, which way the bus was heading and the nearest stop. Transport operators commonly have cameras inside and outside their buses, so put a request in writing quickly. CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can help you identify the insurer if you can't work it out.
Motor vehicle accident lawyer: suburbs near Green Point
Related reading
- How motor accident compensation works in NSW
- Crashes while driving for work
- At fault vs not at fault
- Rideshare accidents and CTP
- Fractures
- Knee Injury
- Hip Injury
- Pelvic Injury After a Car Accident
- Wrist and Hand Injury
- Motorcycle Accidents in NSW
- Pedestrian Hit by a Car
- Cyclist Hit by a Car
- Rideshare or Taxi Passenger Accident
- CTP claims for motorcyclists
- CTP claims for pedestrians
- CTP claims for cyclists
- CTP claims for rideshare drivers
- Central Coast: area guide
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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.