WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF INVOLVED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT?

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you should immediately:

• Check to see if anyone has been affected by the collision; is everybody OK?
• Report the accident to the police within 24 hours. Failing to do so will potentially result in you having to go to court and proving that sufficient cause existed to justify the delay. The police will then give you an “event” number as a record of the notification of the accident.
• Exchange contact details, registration number, license number, and insurance details i.e. the name and number of the green slip insurer.
• Seek medical attention if needed for yourself or someone you know.
• Obtain and complete a personal injury claim form from the green slip insurer and send it to them within 6 months from the date of the accident occurring.
• Contact the insurer of the ‘at-fault’ driver and express intention to claim personal injury compensation using a ‘notice of claim’ form.

If you or someone you know has suffered a serious injury then contact Stacks/Goudkamp to asses your legal position and free advice regarding your rights to lodge a personal injury claim, personal injury compensation amounts as well as the process by which to reach personal injury settlements .

If you have been involved in an accident and sustained a minor injury you may be able to immediately claim up to $5,000 for your treatment expenses and lost earnings if:

• The accident was caused, or mainly caused by another driver, or
• The accident was a blameless motor accident, for example, accidents resulting from the sudden illness of the driver, such as heart attack or stroke or vehicle failure.

If you were under 16 years old and lived in NSW at the time of the accident, you may still claim up to $5,000 for your treatment expenses even if the accident was not caused by any fault of the driver of the motor vehicle. For children under 16 years, the accident will be deemed to have been caused by the owner/driver of the motor vehicle.

In order to make this claim you will need to do the following:

• Note the registration number of the vehicle that caused the accident
• Report the accident to the police if they did not attend the accident and get the police event number
• Call the Claims Advisory Service on 1300 656 919 to find out the Green Slip insurer of the vehicle that caused the accident
• Obtain an Accident Notification Form here or from the insurer
• Complete the Accident Notification Form and have your doctor complete the medical certificate
• Send the Accident Notification Form to the relevant Green Slip insurer within 28 days of the accident.

If your expenses are going to exceed $5,000 you should consider lodging a Personal Injury Claim Form as soon as possible.

Compensation for minor injuries arising from motor vehicle accidents

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in NSW, there are a number of circumstances in which you may be eligible to make a claim for personal injury compensation. If your claim is up to $5000, which covers medical expenses, then complete and lodge an Accident Notification Form which you can download from here.

For minor injuries related to motor vehicle accidents you generally do not need to engage a compensation lawyer to make a claim.