Not in a car? A motor accident lawyer for North Curl Curl

The CTP scheme follows the vehicle, not the person. Every registered motor vehicle in NSW carries a Green Slip, and the policy responds to injuries the vehicle causes, whether the person hurt was inside it or not. So the question for a rider, cyclist or pedestrian is simple to ask but sometimes hard to answer: was a motor vehicle part of how you were hurt?

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.

Something falling from a truck, such as an unsecured load or a trailer coming loose, can be part of the truck's use or operation, so its CTP insurer may be responsible. Note the company name, any fleet number and the registration if you can. Company markings and the direction it was heading make a truck much easier to trace later.

Interstate trucks are a constant presence on the Hume, Pacific and Newell highways. A crash with one in NSW is generally still handled under the NSW scheme, though identifying the insurer can take longer. Make sure the claim records the truck's home state and the precise location, so the paperwork doesn't stall.

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.

Treatment and care for a child who was 16 or under at the time continues for as long as it's needed, and fault doesn't change that, even if the child ran onto the road. A parent or guardian lodges the claim. Notes from school about concentration, behaviour or missed days can help show how the injury affects them as time goes on.

Arguments in rider claims tend to centre on where the bike was and whether it was visible. Lane position, moving between lanes of slow traffic, headlights and the driver's sightline all come up, and the road rules for motorcycles are detailed. Write down what you were doing and where, as precisely as you can, and have someone who knows those rules look at it before you accept a fault finding.

Riding pillion puts you in much the same position as a car passenger. You weren't steering, braking or choosing the line, so the fault question is mostly about the riders and drivers involved. Your claim goes to the insurer of whichever vehicle caused the crash, which may be the bike you were on. It is made against the insurer, never the rider personally.

Electric bikes are generally treated like pedal bikes for this purpose, so if a motor vehicle hit you on one, you claim against that vehicle's insurer. E-scooters are less settled. A car that hit you on a scooter still carries a Green Slip, but expect questions about where you were riding and the type of device. Check before accepting a refusal.

A helmet, lights after dark and your position on the road may all come up if the insurer says you contributed to the crash. Any reduction depends on evidence, including whether the missing item made an injury worse, and it generally shrinks a claim rather than ending it. Turning drivers are generally expected to give way to riders in a marked bike lane.

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.

For pedestrians, the key evidence is usually outside your control: shop, station, bus and council cameras, and dashcams in passing cars. Ask for footage in writing as early as you can. Witnesses who saw where you were crossing matter too. A police report and the ambulance record complete the picture of where and how the vehicle hit you.

• The vehicle's registration, company name or route number
• Written requests for shop, station or bus footage
• A screenshot of the rideshare or delivery trip
• Names and numbers of witnesses who stopped