A motor accident claim in NSW turns on a motor vehicle, not on what you were riding or where you were walking. If a car, truck, bus or motorbike played a part in how you were hurt near Woolwich, you may have a claim even though you weren't driving. The edge cases are technical, so our free check starts there before anything else.
Lower North Shore & Ryde · Motor vehicle accident claims
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Is it a motor accident? A quick guide
Whether you can make a motor accident claim depends on whether a motor vehicle was involved in how you were hurt, not on whether you were driving. Use the two lists as a rough guide. The details decide the harder cases.
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.
Woolwich road users and the CTP scheme
Military Road and Victoria Road are busy bus corridors. A passenger hurt when a bus braked hard or collided claims against the insurer of whichever vehicle caused it. Around the Woolwich ferry wharf, people step on and off buses, cross to platforms and wait for rideshare pick-ups. A person hit on foot there, or hurt getting out of a vehicle, may have a motor accident claim. On a route like Woolwich Road, trucks and buses mix with motorbikes and bicycles. When a heavy vehicle is involved, note any company name or fleet number, because it helps identify the insurer.
If you were hurt near Woolwich Dock, ask nearby businesses, and the venue if there is one, to keep camera footage. It's often kept only briefly, and it can show how a vehicle and a person on foot or on a bike met.
- Region
- Lower North Shore & Ryde
- Postcode
- 2110
- Getting around
- Woolwich ferry wharf · bus services to the city
- Main roads
- Woolwich Road · Gale Street
- Local landmarks
- Woolwich Dock · Clarkes Point Reserve
- Nearest public hospital
- Royal North Shore Hospital
Is what happened near Woolwich a motor accident?
You don't need to own a car or hold a licence to claim under the CTP scheme. What you need is an injury caused by a motor vehicle being driven or used. Once that's established, the usual rules apply: most people can claim statutory benefits whoever was at fault, and a damages claim may be possible where another driver was at fault and the injury is more than a threshold injury.
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.
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.
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
Free claim check
Riders, walkers, passengers: free check
We'll check cover, the insurer involved and your deadlines, then point you to a lawyer or doctor only if your claim needs one.
If you were on a bike or e-scooter
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.
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
Pedestrians hit by a vehicle
Not every pedestrian injury happens on a street. Shopping centre, station and hospital car parks are open to the public, and a person hit there by a car that is reversing or turning can usually claim. A vehicle rolling down a home driveway can also be a motor accident, sometimes involving a child and a family car. The details matter, so check before assuming you can't 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
If a heavy vehicle was involved
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.
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.
Evidence that matters for riders, cyclists and pedestrians
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.
- Photos of the crossing, lane markings or bike lane
- Your damaged helmet and gear, kept unrepaired
- 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
- The insurer says your riding gear or helmet made your injuries worse
- Your injuries include fractures, a head injury or nerve damage
- You were hurt getting into or out of a vehicle and the insurer disputes cover
- You were delivering or driving for a platform and aren't sure which claim comes first
You may not need one
- You only need help working out which insurer to contact
- You came off a bicycle alone and just need to confirm it isn't a CTP matter
- A pedestrian claim against an identified car is progressing smoothly
Recovery comes first. Ask us about doctors and allied health, including physiotherapists and psychologists, who understand motor accident claims and the Certificate of Fitness the insurer relies on.
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 Woolwich
- 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 Woolwich
- 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 Woolwich
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.
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.
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.
Often it's CTP. Rideshare platforms commonly treat drivers as independent contractors, not employees. On that footing you claim like any other injured driver: benefits through the Green Slip of the vehicle at fault, which is your own car's if you caused the crash, and a possible damages claim where another driver was to blame. If your arrangement actually makes you an employee, the position may be different, so have it checked.
Sometimes. The test is whether the injury came from the use or operation of a motor vehicle. A passing car striking you as you open the door, or a bus pulling away while you're still on the step, can qualify. Slipping on a wet kerb with no vehicle movement involved usually won't. Note the vehicle, the time and exactly what moved, photograph the spot, and see a doctor promptly.
It usually starts as a workers compensation claim. When a crash happens while you're driving for your employer, you generally claim through the employer's insurer first, and CTP weekly payments and treatment aren't generally paid where workers compensation applies. A separate damages claim against an at-fault driver's CTP insurer may still be open. If you own your truck or work as a contractor, the answer may be different, so have your arrangements checked early.
Motor vehicle accident lawyer: suburbs near Woolwich
Related reading
- How motor accident compensation works in NSW
- Crashes while driving for work
- Rideshare accidents and CTP
- Gathering medical evidence
- At fault vs not at fault
- 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
- Lower North Shore & Ryde: area guide
- CTP Lawyer Help in Sydney
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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.