I have been injured in a car accident which was someone else’s fault. What do I do now?

The first thing to know is that in South Australia you have 6 months to lodge a claim form to report the injuries you sustained in the car accident.  The claim form should be submitted as early as possible to the CTP insurer if an injury has been sustained, even if the injury is minor. You can submit your claim form online via the following link: https://www.ctp.sa.gov.au/for-injured-people/how-to-claim  

There are several CTP insurers that respond to car accidents claims in South Australia. The above link also provides details of how you can determine the CTP insurer for the at fault vehicle.

Once your claim form has been submitted to the relevant CTP insurer, a claim number will be issued and provided to you. The CTP insurer should then meet your treatment expenses for both physical and psychological injuries.

Payment of lost income is not made on a week to week basis and there is no payment for any loss sustained in the first 7 days after the car accident. Payment is usually made as a lump sum for past and future losses at the time the car accident compensation claim is finalised. This can include the value of any leave entitlements you are required to use. If you are suffering financial hardship as a result of the car accident, you can ask the CTP insurer for an interim payment of compensation.

You have three years to finalise the claim for compensation. If you have not finalised your claim within 3 years of the date of the car accident you must issue proceedings in Court, otherwise your claim will be out of time. While you can ask the Court to extend the time in which you can make your claim, extensions are difficult to obtain. If a child is injured in the car accident, they have until their 21^st birthday to finalise their claim for compensation before they need to issue Court proceedings.

You should speak to a lawyer about your car accident compensation claim if:

• you have suffered injuries that will obviously have a long lasting impact on you; or
• you prefer to have someone dealing with the insurer on your behalf from the beginning; or
• you are experiencing ongoing injury and restrictions a few months after the car accident; or
• you are unhappy with any decisions made by the CTP insurer; or
• the CTP insurer raises the topic of you attending a medical appointment with a doctor of their choice; or
• the CTP insurer offers to settle your claim.

When you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident you want the best car accident lawyers to for fight for you. At MKF Lawyers we provide legal advice and assistance to clients injured in car accidents in South Australia and can provide the legal advice you need to secure the compensation you are entitled to.

Contact us on 08 7093 2998 to speak to one of our Adelaide based car accident lawyers today about your compensation claim. We work on a no win no fee basis and we offer a first free discussion about your claim so there’s no up front cost to obtain the information and assistance you need for your car accident claim.

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