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 Stanmore, our free claim check covers both, and there's no obligation to take any step we suggest.
Inner West · Personal injury lawyer help
Personal injury lawyer Stanmore: what to record now
A free claim check first. An independent lawyer only if your case calls for one.
Postcode: 2048
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Stanmore & Petersham
Stanmore: the local side of an injury claim
If you've stopped walking shopping strips such as King Street in Newtown, or can no longer manage the Bay Run, record it. It shows plainly how the injury has changed your routine. Before the crash, getting to Newington College 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. Hospitals serving the area include Royal Prince Alfred 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.
When travel is painful, help should come to you. The claim check runs by phone and online, and many motor accident lawyers work that way too, so being 5 km from the Sydney CBD needn't slow anything down.
- Region
- Inner West
- Postcode
- 2048
- Local landmarks
- Newington College · Petersham Park
- Nearest public hospital
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
- Distance to the Sydney CBD
- ~5 km
Is it time to talk to a lawyer about your injury?
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
- 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
- Your injury may affect your ability to earn for years, not months
- The insurer says your symptoms come from an old injury, not the crash
You may not need one
- Your symptoms have settled and you expect no lasting effects
- Your injury is healing well and treatment is being paid for
- You mainly need the right doctor or physio, not legal advice
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?
- 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 Stanmore
- If your question is how to check a solicitor and what the relationship involves, see the personal injury solicitor page. Personal injury solicitor in Stanmore
- If your injury is serious or may be permanent, the injury compensation lawyer page explains what that means for compensation. Injury compensation lawyer in Stanmore
What 'personal injury' means for a claim
In NSW, compensation for an injury usually runs through a scheme rather than a simple lawsuit, and which scheme depends on how you were hurt. If the injury came from a motor accident on or after 1 December 2017, it is generally claimed through CTP insurance under the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017. That is the kind of claim we help with, whether you were driving, a passenger, riding, cycling or on foot.
Read next:What a CTP claim is
Choosing 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
Recording how your injury changes
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
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.
- Photos of visible injuries, taken again every week or so as they change
- Dates you missed work, and any duties you've had to change or hand over
- Copies of every form, email and letter you send the insurer
- Notes of calls with the insurer: the date, who you spoke to and what was said
- Activities you have stopped or cut back on since the crash
- A current list of your medications and doses, updated when they change
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
Tell us about your injury and where your claim is up to. We'll say whether a lawyer, a doctor or neither would help.
Medical evidence and the Certificate of Fitness
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
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
How, who, how serious and when
A lawyer's first questions are practical. They want the date and place of the accident, the people and vehicles involved, what injuries you have, who is treating you and whether a claim has been lodged. They will also ask how the injury is affecting your work and home life. Having your own notes in front of you makes that conversation shorter and more accurate.
- Who else was involved, and in which vehicles?
- What injuries do you have, and who is treating them?
- Have you lodged a claim yet, and on what date?
- Has the insurer made any decisions or requests?
Read next:What to do after a car accident
Recording the effect on your everyday life
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.
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.
When to get in touch
Earlier is usually easier. A claim lodged within 28 days of the accident can have weekly payments back-paid to the day after it, and some insurer decisions have short windows for review. If you're unsure about anything, from which form to fill in to whether your injury is being taken seriously, a free claim check is a low-effort way to see where you stand.
Read next:What help do I need? Quick check
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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 Stanmore
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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.