CTP claims guides
NSW CTP claims, explained step by step
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A CTP claim is how people hurt in a NSW motor accident get help with treatment and lost income. Most people can claim, including many drivers who were at fault. These guides are for accidents on or after 1 December 2017, which fall under the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017. Some rules changed for accidents from 1 April 2023, so keep your accident date handy.
New to this? Read what a CTP claim is and how to make one, or print the after-an-accident checklist. Already lodged and waiting on the insurer? See what happens after you lodge and insurer decisions and reviews.
CTP Assist is an independent service, and we're not a law firm. We help you get your claim ready and lodged. Many claims never need a lawyer.
Starting your claim
What a CTP claim is, who can make one, and how to get it ready: the claim form, the right insurer, the Certificate of Fitness and the police event number.
What is a CTP claim?
CTP is the injury insurance that comes with every NSW registration. What a CTP claim covers, who pays, which law applies and what it doesn't cover.
Read the guide
Who can claim
Drivers, passengers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians hurt in a NSW motor accident can usually claim, including many at-fault drivers. The exceptions, too.
Read the guide
How to make a CTP claim
The six steps to lodging a NSW CTP claim: medical certificate, police event number, the right insurer, the claim form, how to lodge, and what happens next.
Read the guide
The claim form explained
A plain-English walk-through of the NSW CTP claim form (Application for Personal Injury Benefits): each section, what to attach and common mistakes.
Read the guide
Find your CTP insurer
Your NSW CTP claim goes to the insurer of the vehicle at fault. How to find it from a number plate, what to do if you were at fault, and hit-and-run cases.
Read the guide
Certificate of Fitness
You need a Certificate of Fitness from your doctor to lodge a NSW CTP claim. What it records, who fills it in, how often to renew it and what helps.
Read the guide
Police event number
Your NSW CTP claim needs a police event number. How to report the accident, when to call 000 or 131 444, and what to do if you haven't reported it yet.
Read the guide
Claiming for someone else
How to make a NSW CTP claim for someone else, such as a child, a partner in hospital or an elderly parent: who signs, what to attach, where to get help.
Read the guideTime limits and what happens next
The dates that matter, what the insurer does after you lodge, and what to do if you disagree with a decision.
Time limits
Enter your accident date to see your 28-day and 3-month dates, then every other NSW CTP time limit explained: reviews, 52 weeks and damages.
Read the guide
What happens after you lodge
A plain-English timeline of a NSW CTP claim: lodging, the insurer's first decision, treatment approvals, the 52-week mark and, for some, a damages claim.
Read the guideInsurer decisions and reviews
When a NSW CTP insurer refuses, reduces or stops your benefits: reading the letter, asking for an internal review within 28 days, and what comes next.
Read the guideThe Personal Injury Commission
What the Personal Injury Commission does in NSW CTP claims, when you can apply after an internal review, how to lodge, and when legal help makes sense.
Read the guideWhat you can claim
Treatment and care, weekly payments and, for some people, a lump sum: what each covers, how long it lasts and how fault changes things.
What you can claim
NSW CTP can pay for treatment and care, weekly payments if you can't work and, for some people, a lump sum. What each covers and how long it lasts.
Read the guideWeekly payments
How NSW CTP weekly payments are worked out: up to 95% of pre-accident earnings for 13 weeks, then up to 80% or 85%, and when payments generally stop.
Read the guide
Treatment and care
How treatment and care works in a NSW CTP claim: what "reasonable and necessary" means, approvals, treatment before you lodge, and how long it lasts.
Read the guideThreshold injury
What a threshold injury is (it used to be called a "minor injury"), why the label matters for your CTP benefits, and how to seek a review if you disagree.
Read the guide
If you were at fault
Most at-fault drivers in NSW can still claim CTP benefits for up to 52 weeks. What "mostly at fault" means, contributory negligence and the exceptions.
Read the guideLump sum damages
Some people hurt in a NSW motor accident can claim lump sum damages. Who can, what it covers, the key dates and why it's usually time for legal help.
Read the guideSituations
After a death, a hit-and-run or uninsured vehicle, an accident interstate, or a crash while you were working.
After a death
If someone close to you died in a NSW motor accident: where to get support, funeral expenses covered regardless of fault, and claims by family members.
Read the guide
Hit-and-run or uninsured
Hurt by a driver who drove off or had no CTP insurance? You can claim against the Nominal Defendant. What "due inquiry and search" means and how to start.
Read the guide
Interstate accidents
Crashed interstate in a NSW car, or hit in NSW by an interstate vehicle? Which scheme usually applies, who to contact, and where to start.
Read the guide
Driving for work
Hurt in a motor accident while driving for work? It's usually a workers compensation claim first, and a CTP claim may still matter. Here's where to start.
Read the guideQuick checks
About a minute each, anonymous and general information only. A check points you to a likely next step; only the insurer decides your claim.
- Can I claim?Whether a CTP claim is likely to be open to you.
- Which insurer?Which CTP insurer your claim likely goes to.
- Am I in time?Which time limits may apply to you now.
- What help do I need?Help to lodge, a doctor, a lawyer, or none of these.
- Claim denied or cut back?Your next steps after an insurer decision.
- Do I need a lawyer?Many claims don't. See when legal help is worth a conversation.
Can't see your situation?
Every claim is different. Tell us what happened and we'll help you work out where you stand and get your claim ready and lodged.
Hurt in a NSW motor accident?
Get your CTP claim ready, with help
Tell us what happened in about 4 minutes and we'll call you back. We'll work out your dates and your insurer, go through the claim form with you, help get it lodged, and stay with you while the insurer decides.
Common questions
Next step
Get help with your CTP claim
We're an independent service. We'll help you understand where you stand, get your claim ready and lodged, and stay with you while the insurer decides.