Two questions come up after almost every crash: what should I be doing now, and do I need a lawyer? The first answer is much the same for everyone. Get treated, keep records, and lodge your claim on time. The second depends on your injury and on what the insurer decides. For people in Airds, our free claim check covers both, and there's no obligation to take any step we suggest.
Macarthur & Wollondilly · Personal injury lawyer help
Airds: choosing a personal injury lawyer after a crash
A free claim check first. An independent lawyer only if your case calls for one.
Postcode: 2560
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Airds & Bradbury
Recovering at home in Airds
If the train from Macarthur or Campbelltown, or the drive along Narellan Road, has become a struggle since the crash, write down how. Everyday limits are part of your injury's story. Everyday places around Airds, such as the Airds shopping centre and Tom Uren Park, are a useful measure of how an injury has changed things. If a trip there now takes planning, rest breaks or a lift from someone, write it down. An emergency department such as Campbelltown Hospital deals with what is urgent on the day. Symptoms that surface later, like headaches or low mood, won't be in those notes, so tell your GP as they appear.
Airds is about 43 km from the Sydney CBD, but claim help shouldn't cost you a trip anywhere. The claim check, and most dealings with a lawyer, can happen by phone and online, which leaves your energy for treatment.
- Region
- Macarthur & Wollondilly
- Postcode
- 2560
- Local landmarks
- Airds shopping centre · Tom Uren Park
- Nearest public hospital
- Campbelltown Hospital
- From the Sydney CBD
- ~43 km
Do you need a personal injury lawyer?
Most people hurt in a motor accident spend far more time with doctors than with lawyers, and many never need a lawyer at all. These lists show where legal help tends to matter for an injury claim.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- You've been told a treatment you need won't be funded
- Forms, certificates and insurer requests are piling up while you recover
- An offer has arrived and you can't tell whether it reflects your injury
- You've been asked to see the insurer's doctor and you're worried about the result
You may not need one
- You only need help understanding a form or a certificate
- Your injury is healing well and treatment is being paid for
- Your question is a general one that CTP Assist can answer
Recovery comes first. If you haven't found a GP who understands CTP claims, including the Certificate of Fitness, we can point you to doctors and allied health experienced with motor accident injuries.
Not quite your situation?
- If the injury happened at work, including on the road for work, workers compensation is usually the scheme that applies first, not CTP. After a crash, a CTP damages claim may still be possible. We can point you to the right help. Free claim check
- If you're not yet sure which kind of claim you have, or what the word compensation covers, the compensation lawyer page is a better first stop. Compensation lawyer in Airds
- The personal injury solicitor page covers how to check a solicitor's credentials and how the working relationship generally goes. Personal injury solicitor in Airds
- If your injury is serious or may be permanent, the injury compensation lawyer page explains what that means for compensation. Injury compensation lawyer in Airds
What 'personal injury' means for a claim
'Personal injury' covers harm to your body or mind caused by an event, as opposed to damage to property. After a motor accident in NSW, the claim goes to a CTP insurer, and most injured people can claim statutory benefits whoever was at fault. Injuries at work sit under a separate workers compensation scheme with its own rules, and we can point you to the right help if that is you.
Read next:What a CTP claim is
What to look for in a personal injury lawyer
If you decide you need a lawyer, look for experience with NSW motor accident claims in particular. Personal injury covers many schemes, and the CTP rules on benefits, thresholds and deadlines are a world of their own. Ask how much of the lawyer's current work is motor accident claims, and how far those claims usually go. A clear, specific answer is a good sign.
It's fine to speak to more than one lawyer before deciding, and fine to take a day to think. You shouldn't feel pressed to sign on the spot. If we connect you with an independent lawyer after your claim check, you remain free to decide not to go ahead with them.
Read next:Choosing a CTP lawyer
When an injury changes over time
It's common to feel worse a few weeks after a crash than on the day itself. Adrenaline wears off, and stiffness or pain can build. Other problems, such as numbness, dizziness or trouble concentrating, may take time to show. Mention each new symptom to your GP at the next visit rather than waiting to see if it passes, and put the date in your diary.
Don't tidy up your records
Keep your notes plain and honest, with good days included. An accurate record carries more weight than one that looks as if it was written for the claim.
Read next:Injuries after a car accident
Records worth keeping from now on
You don't need to be organised about it, just consistent. A notebook, a folder on your phone and an envelope for receipts cover most of this list. Start with whichever item feels easiest.
- Everyday tasks you now need help with, and who is helping
- Activities you have stopped or cut back on since the crash
- Receipts for medicines, treatment, aids and travel to treatment
- A current list of your medications and doses, updated when they change
- A dated log of every GP, specialist, physio and hospital visit
- Notes of calls with the insurer: the date, who you spoke to and what was said
General information, not legal advice. Your records support a claim; they don't decide it. Time limits apply.
Free claim check
Hurt in a crash? Check where your claim stands
Tell us what you've recorded so far and what the insurer has said. A short, free conversation usually makes the next step clearer.
The medical side of an injury claim
Tell every doctor and therapist that the crash caused your injuries, and describe all your symptoms, not just the worst one. It sounds obvious, but a headache or low mood mentioned to nobody won't appear anywhere. Your GP completes the Certificate of Fitness, and the insurer relies on it. Specialist reports and treatment notes then build on that base.
If the insurer arranges its own examination
An examination with a doctor the insurer picks is generally worth attending. Describe your symptoms accurately, then make a short note of what happened while it is fresh.
Read next:The Certificate of FitnessInsurer medical examinations
Work, home and the things you can't do now
Think beyond pay. Can you drive as far as before? Sleep through the night? Carry groceries, garden, play with your children, get through a shift without extra breaks? Each change is part of how the injury has affected you. A few lines a week about what you managed, and what you couldn't, will mean more later than a long account written from memory.
If family or friends are helping with things you used to do, like cooking, cleaning, driving or caring for children, write down who helps, with what and how often. Unpaid help from family generally isn't something CTP damages pay for, but the record still shows how much the injury has changed your days. Paid care is a separate treatment and care question for the insurer.
The first questions a lawyer will ask
Most first conversations with a personal injury lawyer cover the same ground. How did the accident happen? Who else was involved? How serious is the injury, and what treatment have you had? And when did it happen, because dates drive the deadlines. You don't need perfect answers. Honest, approximate ones, backed by whatever notes you have, are enough to start.
- When and where did it happen?
- Who else was involved, and in which vehicles?
- What injuries do you have, and who is treating them?
- How is the injury affecting your work and home life?
Read next:What to do after a car accident
When to get in touch
Get in touch when something changes: a new symptom, a letter from the insurer, a return to work that isn't working, or an offer you're unsure about. Those are the points where advice tends to matter. Many people simply want someone to confirm they're on track, which is a good reason too. We'll tell you honestly if you don't need a lawyer.
Read next:What help do I need? Quick check
Frequently asked questions
See your GP, describe exactly what has changed and when, and make sure the record links it to the crash. Keep your symptom diary going. If you've already lodged a claim, tell the insurer about the change and send any new certificate. If you haven't lodged yet, do it without further delay and ask about the time limits for your situation. What a worse injury means for your entitlements is worth checking with us.
Photos help, particularly for bruising, cuts, swelling, scars and anything that changes as it heals. Take them soon after the accident and again every week or so, with the date recorded. Keep the originals on your phone or computer rather than edited copies. Photos of aids you now use, like a brace or crutches, can help too. They support your medical records; they don't replace them.
Age doesn't stop you claiming. Older people can take longer to recover, and a crash can aggravate existing conditions such as arthritis, which makes clear medical records especially important. Weekly payments are based on what you were earning before the accident, so they may not apply if you weren't working, but treatment and care can generally still be claimed. Rules can vary with circumstances, so check your own situation.
Generally, yes. You can choose your own treating doctor, and many people prefer a GP who already knows their history. What matters is that your GP is willing to complete the Certificate of Fitness, keep it current and describe all your injuries. If your GP would rather not be involved with a CTP claim, we can point you to doctors experienced with these claims.
In some claims, insurers do use surveillance, generally where a lot is at stake or something in the claim doesn't add up to them. It is lawful within limits. The simplest protection is accuracy: tell your doctors and the insurer what you can and can't do, including the good days. If your records match how you actually live, footage has little to show.
Yes, if you can. A short daily or weekly note of pain, sleep, mood, what you managed and what you couldn't is one of the most useful records you can have. It helps you describe the injury accurately to doctors, and it gives a lawyer or insurer the detail that memory loses. Keep it honest, include the good days, and date every entry.
Personal injury lawyer: suburbs near Airds
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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.