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 Ermington, our free claim check covers both, and there's no obligation to take any step we suggest.
Parramatta & Cumberland · Personal injury lawyer help
Personal injury lawyer Ermington: what to record now
General information about motor accident injury claims in NSW, not legal advice.
Postcode: 2115
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Ermington & Melrose Park
Ermington: the local side of an injury claim
If walking through the Parramatta CBD or along Church Street has become harder, note it. Small changes in how you get around are easy to forget and useful to have on paper. If you used to walk to the Parramatta River foreshore and now drive, or no longer go at all, that change belongs in your diary. Small details like this show how an injury reaches into ordinary life. Hospitals serving the area include Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Westmead Hospital. Whichever one saw you, note the date, what you were told and any follow-up it suggested. Then take that to your GP within days, not weeks.
Ermington is about 5 km east of Parramatta, but you don't need to travel for a claim check or a first talk with a lawyer. Both can happen by phone and online, around your treatment.
- Region
- Parramatta & Cumberland
- Postcode
- 2115
- Local landmarks
- Parramatta River foreshore · Ermington Boat Ramp
- Nearest public hospital
- Concord Repatriation General Hospital
- Distance to Parramatta
- ~5 km
Is it time to talk to a lawyer about your injury?
Whether a lawyer is worth it depends mostly on how serious your injury is and what the insurer decides about it. Here is a general guide to both sides of that question.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- 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
- Forms, certificates and insurer requests are piling up while you recover
- The insurer says your symptoms come from an old injury, not the crash
You may not need one
- You only need help understanding a form or a certificate
- You mainly need the right doctor or physio, not legal advice
- Your injury is healing well and treatment is being paid for
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?
- 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'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 Ermington
- If your question is how to check a solicitor and what the relationship involves, see the personal injury solicitor page. Personal injury solicitor in Ermington
- If your injury is serious or may be permanent, the injury compensation lawyer page explains what that means for compensation. Injury compensation lawyer in Ermington
Personal injury claims in NSW
'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
Choosing 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
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
The insurer may ask you to see a doctor it chooses. Go, be honest, and describe your symptoms as they are on the day. Afterwards, jot down how long it took and what was examined.
Read next:The Certificate of FitnessInsurer medical examinations
What to write down, photograph and keep
Memory fades quickly after an injury, especially on days when you're in pain. A few simple records kept from the start save you trying to rebuild, months later, what happened, what it cost and what you couldn't do.
- Receipts for medicines, treatment, aids and travel to treatment
- Everyday tasks you now need help with, and who is helping
- Dates you missed work, and any duties you've had to change or hand over
- 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
- 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
Talk it through before choosing a lawyer
Call (02) 7238 7379 or request a callback. We'll go through your dates and records with you, by phone or online.
Work, home and the things you can't do now
The effect of an injury on your life is a large part of any claim, and it's often the least recorded. Time off shows up in payslips. What doesn't show up is the lifting you now avoid, the shifts you swapped, the sport you stopped, or the help you need with children or shopping. Note these as they happen, with dates, in plain words.
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.
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
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
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?
- Were you hurt or unwell in the same area before?
Read next:What to do after a car accident
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
Frequently asked questions
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.
When you claim, you'll generally be asked to authorise the insurer to obtain medical information relevant to your injuries. That can include records from before the accident if they bear on the same part of the body or on your capacity to work. Read any authority before signing it, and ask the insurer what it covers if you're unsure. A lawyer can check whether a request goes further than it should.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Personal injury lawyer: suburbs near Ermington
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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.