South Coast & Shoalhaven · Motor vehicle accident claims

Not in a car? A motor accident lawyer for Nowra

Riders, pedestrians, cyclists and passengers: whether the NSW motor accident scheme covers what happened to you.

Hurt as a passenger on a bus, in a taxi or in a rideshare car? Knocked down on foot, or doored on a bike? For people in Nowra, these are motor accidents in most cases, and the claim goes to a CTP insurer. We help you confirm it, point you to the right insurer, and tell you whether you need a lawyer at all.

Postcode: 2541

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  • Helping people in Nowra & North Nowra

Usually covered, or check first?

Generally, the CTP scheme covers injuries caused by the use or operation of a registered motor vehicle in NSW. Most crashes involving one are covered, whoever you were. The edge cases are technical, so if yours sits in the right-hand column, ask before ruling anything out.

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.

Nowra road users and the CTP scheme

The Princes Highway carries holiday traffic and regional coaches. A passenger hurt on a coach or bus generally claims against the CTP insurer of whichever vehicle caused the crash. Near Bomaderry 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. Around the Shoalhaven River, 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.

Hospitals serving the area include Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. Fractures, hip and pelvic injuries and head injuries are common after crashes involving unprotected road users, and each one should be recorded, not only the most obvious.

Region
South Coast & Shoalhaven
Postcode
2541
Getting around
Bomaderry station
Main roads
Princes Highway · Kalandar Street
Local landmarks
Shoalhaven River · Nowra town centre
Nearest public hospital
Shoalhaven District Memorial 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.

If you were on a bike or e-scooter

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

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Motorcycle riders and pillion passengers

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.

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

Trucks and heavy vehicles

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.

Hurt on a bus, in a taxi or while delivering

A passenger thrown forward when a bus braked hard, or hurt when a taxi was hit side-on, has a motor accident claim in most cases. Write down the route or cab number, the time, and whether you were seated or holding a rail. Screenshot the rideshare trip if there was one. These records show you were on board and help identify the right insurer.

Delivery riders use bikes, e-bikes, scooters, motorbikes and cars, and a motor vehicle is often involved when they're hurt. A rider who is an employee and working at the time generally needs to claim workers compensation first, with a CTP damages claim against an at-fault driver still possible. Some platforms also carry their own injury cover, on terms that vary, so keep any policy you were given.

Read next:Rideshare and taxi accident claims

Walking, crossing and car parks: pedestrian claims

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.

Read next:Pedestrian accident claims

Evidence that matters for riders, cyclists and pedestrians

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
  • 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
  • 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 were hurt getting into or out of a vehicle and the insurer disputes cover

You may not need one

  • You were a bus or rideshare passenger and the insurer has accepted the claim
  • You only need help working out which insurer to contact
  • The crash clearly involved a registered vehicle and nobody disputes cover

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 Nowra
  • 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 Nowra
  • If your real question is whether you need a lawyer at all for a CTP claim, the CTP lawyer page answers that directly. CTP lawyer in Nowra

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