The Process Of Filing A Car Accident Compensation Claim

You are driving down the street and have taken this route countless times with no issues. On this particular day, however, someone tries to beat the traffic light and collides with your vehicle― leaving you battered and bruised.

This is one of the countless daily scenarios that could happen on the roads. If you or a loved one find yourself in this predicament, you might wonder what the process of filing a car accident compensation claim is.

This article will discuss exactly that.

1. Make A Police Report

If you have suffered an injury in a car accident and want to make a CTP insurance claim, but the car accident hasn’t been reported as yet:

• Write a Report of Traffic Incident to Police Form and deliver it to the police station.
• You can get a QP number by going directly to the police station.

At some stage, you will need the QP number for the claim form.

2. Follow Timeframes

The notice must be furnished within the following timeframes:

• Three months for a Nominal Defendant claim; or
• In all other instances, when the first of any of the below happen:

• Nine months after the car accident or if symptoms are not showing straight away, the onset of the symptoms of the injury;
• One month from the first consultation with your lawyer.

If you are under 18 during a car accident, the timeframe is different, and the timeframe only begins once a child turns 18.

3. Find The Registration Number Of The At-Fault Vehicle

For the claim to proceed, you need the registration vehicles of all cars involved. If the car that caused the collision (at-fault vehicle) were registered in Queensland, details for the CTP insurer would be listed online.

You’ll need the vehicle’s registration number and the crash date. The at-fault car’s registration number and the car accident date are required.

If you don’t know which car was involved or if it was not registered, you can proceed against the Nominal Defendant.

4. Write Up The Claim Form

Two claim forms are available:

• A claim form for non-fatal injury; and
• A claim form for fatal injury.

Make sure that the claim form is as detailed as possible.

Information to be included:

• An honest version of what transpired;
• The resultant injury; and
• The after-effects of the injury.

Furnishing inflated or misleading facts about any aspect of the claim is considered CTP fraud. This could lead to your prosecution.

5. Include Supporting Documents

Include the following documents to serve as proof for your claim:

1. Medical certificate
2. Claimant certificate
3. Proof of identification
4. Law practice certificate (if you have a lawyer representing you)

Keeping these documents safe is essential, so you don’t delay your process by losing them.

6. Submit Your Claim

If you have opted for the Online claim form, you can send the form securely online straight to the insurer.

If you worked on the PDF Claim form, send this to the CTP insurer of the at-fault car.

Remember that emailing your claim form is less safe than using the Queensland CTP claim portal.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say that no one enjoys filling out paperwork. Although this might seem like a mission, claiming compensation for your injuries is necessary. Luckily, Smith’s Lawyers can handle your entire claim process. Contact us to learn about the steps involved in filing a car accident compensation claim.