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 St Ives, our free claim check covers both, and there's no obligation to take any step we suggest.
Upper North Shore & Hornsby · Personal injury lawyer help
Personal injury lawyer St Ives: what to record now
General information about motor accident injury claims in NSW, not legal advice.
Postcode: 2075
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in St Ives & North St Ives
After a crash near St Ives: where your records begin
If you rode the Old Pacific Highway north of Berowra before the crash and can't now, record it. Activities you have had to give up belong in your diary as much as pain does. Think about the places you go each week, like the St Ives Village shopping centre. Note what has become harder since the crash, and roughly when it started. A lawyer or doctor can use those notes; memory rarely holds them for long. Keep a note of every visit connected with the crash, starting with Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital if you went there. Dates, who you saw and what changed make your records far easier for anyone to follow.
St Ives is about 17 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
- Upper North Shore & Hornsby
- Postcode
- 2075
- Local landmarks
- St Ives Village shopping centre · St Ives Showground
- Nearest public hospital
- Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital
- Distance to Hornsby
- ~7 km
Your injury and legal help: where do you sit?
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
- New symptoms have appeared and the insurer doesn't accept they came from the crash
- You've been told a treatment you need won't be funded
- The injury means you can't go back to your old job or hours
- Your injury may affect your ability to earn for years, not months
You may not need one
- Your injury is healing well and treatment is being paid for
- Your symptoms have settled and you expect no lasting effects
- Your question is a general one that CTP Assist can answer
If your injury has changed, or you're not sure your treating team has the full picture, a fresh look can help. We can suggest doctors and allied health who know CTP and the Certificate of Fitness.
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 are still working out what kind of claim covers your injury, and what compensation means, the compensation lawyer page starts there. Compensation lawyer in St Ives
- The personal injury solicitor page covers how to check a solicitor's credentials and how the working relationship generally goes. Personal injury solicitor in St Ives
- If your injury is serious or may be permanent, the injury compensation lawyer page explains what that means for compensation. Injury compensation lawyer in St Ives
What 'personal injury' means for a claim
People search for a personal injury lawyer after all sorts of accidents, but the rules depend on the kind of accident. For a motor vehicle crash in NSW, the claim is made to a CTP insurer, and the scheme sets what can be paid and when. That is our focus. The guidance below is about looking after yourself and your records, which matter whichever way a claim goes.
Read next:What a CTP claim is
When an injury changes over time
Injuries rarely follow a straight line. Some improve and then flare. Some that seemed slight at first turn out to be more serious, and some symptoms, like headaches, poor sleep or anxiety, appear weeks later. Record each change as it happens: what's different, when you noticed it, and whether you told your doctor. Dated notes like these are what let a doctor connect a later problem to the crash.
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
Medical evidence and the Certificate of Fitness
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
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
- A current list of your medications and doses, updated when they change
- Everyday tasks you now need help with, and who is helping
- A dated log of every GP, specialist, physio and hospital visit
- Copies of every form, email and letter you send the insurer
- A short symptom diary: pain, sleep and mood, a line or two a day
General information, not legal advice. Your records support a claim; they don't decide it. Time limits apply.
Free claim check
A free, no-obligation look at your injury claim
Free and no obligation. If your case calls for a lawyer, we'll connect you with an independent one experienced in motor accident claims.
What to look for in a personal injury lawyer
Useful questions for a lawyer are simple ones. Have you run many NSW CTP claims? Who will I deal with most of the time? How will you tell me what's happening, and how often? What will you need from me? Listen for plain answers. A lawyer who explains things clearly at the start is more likely to keep doing so.
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
How the injury affects work and daily life
If you've missed paid work, keep a list of the dates and any leave you used. If you went back on lighter duties or fewer hours, write down what changed and who agreed to it. Your doctor records your capacity for work on the Certificate of Fitness, but your own notes add the detail a certificate can't hold.
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.
How, who, how serious and when
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.
- Who else was involved, and in which vehicles?
- Have you lodged a claim yet, and on what date?
- How is the injury affecting your work and home life?
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Personal injury lawyer: suburbs near St Ives
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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.