Last updated · General information, not legal advice
Overview
Being a learner or P-plate driver doesn't put you outside the CTP scheme — the same statutory benefits and common law damages rules apply to you as to any other driver, and being on your L's or P's doesn't itself count as fault. If you were injured by a learner or P-plate driver, or a supervising driver, your claim proceeds against that vehicle's Green Slip insurer in the usual way. Where L and P-plate status can become relevant is in a fault dispute, since licence conditions (like a supervising driver's obligations, or P-plate passenger and speed restrictions) can factor into how a court or the Personal Injury Commission assesses what happened.
Key points
- Being on L or P plates doesn't itself count as fault
- The same general benefits and damages rules apply as for any other driver
- A supervising driver's obligations can be relevant if something went wrong with supervision
- Breaching a P-plate condition at the time can factor into a fault assessment
- A free claim check costs nothing and doesn't commit you to anything
Your situation
Work out where you stand
How we help
A free claim check treats a learner or P-plate accident the same as any other, while flagging anything specific to licence conditions that's worth getting advice on. Where fault is disputed, particularly around supervision or licence conditions, we'll connect you with an independent lawyer who can advise on how that's likely to be assessed. Whatever your licence type, getting assessed by a doctor experienced with CTP claims — and referred to physio or other allied health if needed — is the same first step as for any other driver. See doctors and allied health for CTP claims for help finding providers.
What this means
The same general eligibility rules apply regardless of licence type: statutory benefits are generally available regardless of fault for an initial period, and common law damages depend on not being mostly at fault and having a non-threshold injury. If you were the learner driver, your supervising driver's obligations (being a fully licensed, sober, attentive supervisor) can be relevant to how fault is assessed if something went wrong with the supervision itself, rather than your driving. If a P-plate restriction was breached (for example, exceeding the speed limit condition, or a passenger restriction) at the time of the accident, that can also be a factor in a fault assessment.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules depend on your accident date and circumstances, and they change — check the current scheme rules with SIRA and get advice about your own situation.
