If you’ve been injured in a motor accident, making a claim may be the last thing on your mind. However, it’s wise to consider the prospect as early as possible, as you can only claim within a set period of time.

Some injuries can be debilitating, and leave you with big bills or an unfortunate loss of earnings. By making a claim you could relieve some of the stress caused by your accident, whether it’s to help pay for medical treatments or to help you get back on your feet.

Claiming after a car crash or accident can be a good way of helping you recoup both medical and personal costs, but if you don’t make a claim within a certain amount of time, you may lose the ability to claim.

If you’re involved in a motor accident, you should report it to the authorities within the first 24 hours if possible. If you’ve been injured as a result of the accident, you should fill in a personal injury claim form from your green slip insurer and send it to them within six months from the date of the accident.

When serious injuries have been suffered, it is important to have a qualified motor vehicle accident lawyer on hand, to help assess the situation and ensure the correct procedure is followed.

Find out more about the possibility of making a motor accident claim by speaking to the caring and informative staff at PK Simpson Injury Compensation Lawyers. Call 02 9299 1424.

Frequently Asked Questions

A: If you’ve had a motor car accident, stop your vehicle and turn on your hazard lights. Make sure nobody is injured, and if so, call emergency 000 and remain at the scene of the accident. If it’s a minor incident you don’t need to call the police, but move the damaged cars if possible. Never admit responsibility even if you think you were at fault. Collect name, address, registration number and insurance details from the other parties and get witness details if possible.

A: Motor accident compensation claims are normally finalised after you’ve recovered, or your injuries have stabilised. It can take some people longer to recover than others – from days to years – which determines the length of time it can take to finalise a claim. Also, your injuries may not always appear immediately after the accident and can take some time to appear, in some cases, years.

A: In a carpark, anyone driving in the lanes has the right of way, so if you’re the one pulling out of the car space and hit another motor vehicle, you are likely to be the majority at fault in the accident. However, since both cars are moving, both drivers might hold some responsibility. But if you hit a parked car, you are likely at fault.

A: When lodging a claim for compensation after a motor vehicle accident it’s best to do it as soon as possible. However, it isn’t always feasible if you were severely injured and couldn’t file a claim straight away. There are time limits, however, so get someone to call a lawyer at PK Simpson for you to lodge a claim at least within six months of the crash.

A: The length of time you have to make your claim depends on the jurisdiction.

For instance:

  • TPD claims – these may be commenced up to 10 years after you’ve stopped work. TPD claims are very technical and you may have more than one TPD claim.
  • Car accident claims – A personal injury claim form should be filled in and sent to your CTP insurer as early as possible, but must be no later than six months from the date of your accident. HOWEVER, out of time claims may be made. New NSW CTP laws have made it difficult for injured people and many law firms still do not understand how to run new claims under these laws – so call us at PK Simpson Sydney as soon as possible.
  • Workers compensation claims – You should contact a lawyer within six months of the accident. But remember, out of time claims can be handled by PK Simpson Sydney. We can help you get the treatment required to build your claim.
  • Slip ‘n’ fall/occupiers liability claims – Your claim must be lodged usually within three years of the date of your accident.

Medical Negligence – within three years of the date of when the cause of action was discoverable to our client OR 12 years from the time of the act or omission which caused the injury through negligence.

A: At PK Simpson compensation lawyers we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis. However, for detailed information on the legal costs that can be charged for statutory benefits CTP Insurance car accident claims in NSW click on this link.