What Should You Do If You Have Been In A Motor Vehicle Accident?

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT

1. OBTAIN DETAILS OF THE OTHER PERSON/PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE REGISTRATION NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE AT FAULT.

This is important as you will need to know the registration number of the vehicle at fault in order to identify who the relevant CTP Insurer is and where to lodge the Personal Injury Claim Form.

2. POLICE ACCIDENT REPORT REQUIRMENT

 Section 70 of the Motor Accident Compensation Act 1999 makes it mandatory to report the accident to the police within 28 days if they have not attended the motor accident. This is important as failure to report the accident to the police within the prescribed time limits may result in the CTP Insurer rejecting your claim.

Recent changes to the law have meant that the Police do not have to create a report about your Motor Vehicle Accident unless you have received treatment. If you are having difficulty reporting your accident to the Police or obtaining an Event Number you should seek legal advice immediately.

3. SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 

If you have been injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident, you should immediately seek treatment and advice from your General Practitioner.   It is important that your injuries are documented by your Doctor at the time you suffer those injuries. This is because there needs to be contemporaneous evidence that the injuries you are complaining of were in fact caused by the Motor Vehicle Accident. Failure to seek medical assistance promptly may result in the CTP Insurer denying liability for that injury.

4. LODGE PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM FORM 

The Personal Injury Claim form must be lodged within 6 months of the date of injury. A prescribed Medical Certificate forms part of the Personal Injury Claim Form and this must be completed by your Doctor and lodged at the same time as the Personal Injury Claim Form. Once your claim form is lodged you will be given a Claim Reference Number and you should provide this claim number to your treatment providers.