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What to do after a car accident in NSW

If you have been hurt on the road, the steps you take in the first days matter. This short guide covers exactly what to do — and the deadlines to watch.

At the scene and in the first days

  • Report the accident to police and get an event number — you will need it for the claim.
  • Exchange details with the other driver (name, licence, rego, insurer) and photograph the vehicles and scene if you safely can.
  • See a doctor early, even if you feel mostly fine — some injuries surface days later, and the medical record links your injuries to the accident.
  • Keep everything: receipts, medical certificates, photos of injuries, and notes about how the injury affects your work and daily life.

How the CTP scheme works

Every registered vehicle in NSW carries compulsory third party (CTP, or “green slip”) insurance. If you were hurt in a motor accident — as a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian — you claim against the CTP insurer of the vehicle at fault. In the early period, support is available even if the accident was partly your fault.

A claim can cover weekly income payments while you cannot work, your treatment and rehabilitation costs, and domestic help. Where your injuries are more than minor and someone else was at fault, you may also be entitled to a lump sum for pain and suffering and future loss.

Why people get less than they should

Insurers assess thousands of claims a year; most injured people deal with one claim in a lifetime. Common mistakes include accepting the insurer’s first classification of your injuries, missing internal review deadlines, and not documenting how the injury really affects your earning capacity. Having a lawyer level the field typically costs you nothing up front — we act on a No Win, No Fee* basis for eligible claims.

When to call a lawyer

Ideally before you lodge, and certainly if the insurer disputes your injuries, cuts off payments, or classifies your injuries as “threshold” when they should not be. The earlier we see your claim, the more we can protect.

The important deadline: to protect back-payment of weekly income support, a CTP personal injury claim should generally be lodged within 28 days of the accident. Later claims are still possible — but do not wait.
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