A personal injury claim is, at heart, a record of how an injury has affected one person's life. If that person is you, and you were hurt in a crash near Burwood Heights, the record starts with your GP, your treatment and the notes you keep yourself. We look at where your motor accident claim is up to, for free, and connect you with an independent lawyer if the case calls for one.
Inner West · Personal injury lawyer help
Personal injury lawyer Burwood Heights: what to record now
A free claim check first. An independent lawyer only if your case calls for one.
Postcode: 2136
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- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Burwood Heights & Croydon Park
What 'personal injury' means for a claim
An injury claim after a crash has two sides. The legal side is about which scheme applies, what can be claimed and which deadlines run. The personal side is your treatment, your recovery and the record of how the injury has affected you. Motor accident claims in NSW run through CTP. If you were hurt at work instead, that is usually a workers compensation claim, which is a different scheme.
Read next:What a CTP claim is
The first questions a lawyer will ask
Expect to be asked what happened, in your own words, and what has happened since. The lawyer is listening for the things that shape a claim: the date, whether someone else caused the crash, how serious the injury looks and whether the insurer has already decided anything. If you don't know an answer, say so. A guess causes more trouble later than a gap does.
- When and where did it happen?
- Who else was involved, and in which vehicles?
- Have you lodged a claim yet, and on what date?
- Were you hurt or unwell in the same area before?
Read next:What to do after a car accident
What to write down, photograph and keep
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.
- Notes of calls with the insurer: the date, who you spoke to and what was said
- Dates you missed work, and any duties you've had to change or hand over
- Everyday tasks you now need help with, and who is helping
- Copies of every form, email and letter you send the insurer
- A current list of your medications and doses, updated when they change
- Photos of visible injuries, taken again every week or so as they change
General information, not legal advice. Your records support a claim; they don't decide it. Time limits apply.
After a crash near Burwood Heights: where your records begin
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Canterbury Hospital serve the Inner West. Whichever one saw you, keep the paperwork, and tell your GP about symptoms that started afterwards. Before the crash, getting to the Burwood Heights shops may have been nothing. If it is now a task you avoid or need help with, record it with the date. That is exactly the kind of detail a claim relies on. Burwood Heights is about 10 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
- Inner West
- Postcode
- 2136
- Local landmarks
- Burwood Heights shops · Westfield Burwood
- Nearest public hospital
- Canterbury Hospital
- From the Sydney CBD
- ~10 km
Your GP, your treating team and the notes they keep
Medical records are the backbone of an injury claim. In NSW CTP claims your doctor completes a Certificate of Fitness, which records your injuries and your capacity for work. Keep each one, check it lists all your injuries, and arrange your next visit before the current certificate runs out. If something is missing, raise it with your doctor rather than the insurer.
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
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.
Notice how a lawyer treats you before you sign anything. Did they listen to your account, or jump to conclusions? Did they explain what they don't know yet? Did they mention that some claims don't need a lawyer at all? Early signs like these tell you a lot about the working relationship ahead.
Read next:Choosing a CTP lawyer
When an injury changes over time
If your injury changes, your records should change with it. A symptom diary that stops after a fortnight can suggest you recovered, even if you didn't. Keep it going, even at a line or two, until your treating doctor says things have settled. What a change means for your claim is a separate question, and someone can answer it once the change is written down.
Don't tidy up your records
Write what actually happened, including the good days. A diary that records only bad days is less convincing than an honest one, and harder to rely on later.
Read next:Injuries after a car accident
How the injury affects work and daily life
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.
Self-employed or working casually? Your records matter even more, because there may be no payslip showing what you've lost. Keep invoices, the jobs you turned down and any work you handed to someone else. Working out lost earnings is the insurer's job, and a lawyer's if it's disputed, but both will need your records to do it.
Getting help at the right time
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
Is it time to talk to a lawyer about your injury?
A lawyer can't speed up your recovery, but can help when your injury and the insurer's view of it don't line up. Use these lists as a rough guide, then check your own situation with us for free.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- Your injury isn't improving and you're unsure what that means for your claim
- You've been asked to see the insurer's doctor and you're worried about the result
- You've been told a treatment you need won't be funded
- The insurer says your symptoms come from an old injury, not the crash
You may not need one
- Your question is a general one that CTP Assist can answer
- You only need help understanding a form or a certificate
- Your claim is accepted and nothing the insurer has decided worries you
Good treatment and good records go together. Ask us about doctors and allied health familiar with CTP, from GPs who complete the Certificate of Fitness to physiotherapists and psychologists.
Not quite your situation?
- Hurt at work, or in a crash while you were working? That is usually a workers compensation claim first, which is a different scheme from CTP. Tell us what happened and we can point you to the right help. Free claim check
- If you are still working out what kind of claim covers your injury, and what compensation means, the compensation lawyer page starts there. Compensation lawyer in Burwood Heights
- The personal injury solicitor page covers how to check a solicitor's credentials and how the working relationship generally goes. Personal injury solicitor in Burwood Heights
- For a serious injury, and how its severity is measured in a claim, the injury compensation lawyer page goes further. Injury compensation lawyer in Burwood Heights
Free claim check
Not sure what your injury claim needs?
Call (02) 7238 7379 or request a callback. We'll go through your dates and records with you, by phone or online.
Frequently asked questions
Any harm to your body or mind caused by the accident. That includes obvious injuries, like fractures or cuts, and less visible ones, like soft tissue damage, concussion, ongoing pain, anxiety or post-traumatic stress. Psychological injuries can be part of a CTP claim in their own right, not only alongside a physical one. Tell your GP about every symptom, physical and emotional, so each one is recorded and linked to the crash.
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.
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.
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.
It can. Insurers may look at public posts, and a photo of you at a family barbecue can be misread even if you paid for it with a bad night afterwards. You don't have to go silent, but it's sensible to check your privacy settings, avoid posting about the accident or the claim, and think about how a post might look to someone who doesn't know you. If in doubt, leave it off.
Whenever suits you, but earlier helps. A claim lodged within 28 days can have weekly payments back-paid to the day after the accident. Contact also helps when something changes, such as a new symptom, a refused treatment request or an offer you're unsure about. There is no charge for the claim check, and no obligation afterwards. If you only need a doctor or some reassurance, we'll say so.
Personal injury lawyer: suburbs near Burwood Heights
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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.