I was a pedestrian hit by a car, what should I do?
Physiotherapy Treatment for pedestrians after car accidents:
Walking is starting to become a high-risk activity for both pedestrians as well as drivers. If you were a pedestrian hit by a car, what should you do? If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident – a pedestrian hit by a car, you are eligible to receive medical treatment under CTP Insurance of the vehicle that caused the accident.
There are certain steps you need to take after the accident:
1. You need to call the Police and report the accident immediately. You should obtain a Police event number.
2. You should go to the hospital or your general practitioner (GP) and obtain treatment for any injuries you have sustained. Make sure your GP or the hospital records how your accident occurred and records all the injuries you have sustained, even those injuries that might seem minor at the time. If you went to the hospital first, you may need to consult your GP who will provide you with an “Accident Notification Form” or a medical certificate. You will need this form to lodge your CTP claim.
3. If because of the car accident you need time off work or payment for medical treatment, you need to submit an Application for Personal Injury Benefits form.
4. You will need certain details before you can lodge your CTP Claim:
- The details of the vehicle that hit you (to identify the CTP insurer)
- Police event number
- Medical certificate from your GP (Filled by your GP)
- Personal injury benefits form (Filled by you)
5. It is best to submit your claim as soon as possible. To receive lost wages, you must submit your claim within 28 days of the accident.
7. Once your claim has been accepted, the insurer will issue you with a claim number. You can provide this claim number to a Physiotherapist who will assist you with your injury and provide rehabilitation services.
How to loge a CTP claim in NSW:
Things to know before you lodge a CTP claim in NSW:
- Report the car accident to police.
- Obtain medical certificate from your GP or the hospital
- You can still make a claim if you don’t have all these details yet.
- Submit the application and the insurer will be in touch about any other information they need.
- If you’re unable to make the claim yourself (eg you’re in hospital), family members, friends or other representatives can submit the claim on your behalf.
- You are eligible to receive lost wages due to the accident, you can still submit a claim up to three months after the crash, but it’s best to submit a claim as soon as possible.
What you need before lodging a claim:
- Essential: Certificate of fitness (medical certificate) from a GP
- Essential: Details of your injuries, medical treatment received and receipts for medical expenses
- Can be provided later: Proof of earnings, such as pay slips, from before and after the accident
Step 1: Find out who to claim with
If you need to make a CTP claim, you will first need to know the insurer of the vehicle you believe is most at fault. This may not be determined immediately at the time of the accident. If you don’t know which insurer to lodge with, you can contact your own CTP insurer or you can submit your application to CTP Assist. CTP Assist will automatically send your details to the right insurer, who will then contact you. CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 or email [email protected].
Step 2: How to get income support if you injured and cannot return to work
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident and as a result you have a loss of earnings, you may be entitled to income support payments. Income support payments compensate you for some of the income you have lost because of your injury. If you’re off work these payments will help pay the bills, so you can focus on getting better.
These payments will be a percentage of your pre-accident earnings:
Pre-accident earnings are an average of the past 12 months of your earnings.
Most people recover within one year. After one year your income support payments will end if:
- you were at fault / most at fault or
- your injuries are assessed as ‘threshold’ (previously known as a minor injury)
If you have not reached pre injury levels two years after your accident and continue to experience loss of earnings, you may lodge a claim for damages.
When to lodge your CTP claim
Lodge your claim as soon as possible. To receive lost income from the date of the accident, the insurer needs to receive the claim within 28 days. If the claim is made on the insurer after 28 days, then you will need to give an explanation for your delay to be considered eligible to receive weekly payments of statutory benefits from the day after the date of the accident. Otherwise, weekly payments of statutory benefits may only begin from the date the claim is made. You can still submit a claim up to three months after the crash, but it’s best to submit a claim as soon as possible.
Who can apply for a CTP claim in NSW?
Anyone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident in NSW can apply. This includes:
- drivers and passengers
- motor bike riders
- pedestrians
- cyclists.
The injury can be physical or psychological.
Contact Us:
Do you need assistance with your injury? Experienced Physiotherapists with essential knowledge. You can call us anytime to have a confidential discussion with our expert Physiotherapists. For more information on how we can further assist you, please call our clinic number on 0479 080 800 or send us an email on [email protected] for further details. Our Physiotherapists are Medicare, NDIS, DVA and Work Cover approved, specialising in injury management and rehabilitation to get you back on track.
