The answer is both. If you get hurt in a motor vehicle accident, it is very important that once you have contacted the police and sought any medical treatment, that you also get in touch with the compulsory third party (“CTP”) insurer.
A accident report from and injury claim form (or fatality claim form) must be lodged within six months of the accident taking place. You can download the forms on our Motor Vehicle Accidents page.
From 1 July 2016, there are four private CTP insurance companies in South Australia: Allianz, AAMI, QBE and SGIC.
You will need to know which of the four insurers (Allianz, AAMI, QBE or SGIC) are involved so that you know where to send the forms. If you need any assistance, the CTP Regulator website (http://www.ctp.sa.gov.au/) is a helpful starting point.
The insurer will ask you to lodge an accident report form and injury claim form (or fatality claim form), within six months of the accident.
Once this is done you will also need to get some advice about your entitlements and this is where a lawyer comes in.
Broadly speaking, if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to claim damages for the following:-
- Pain and suffering;
- Past loss of income;
- Future loss of income;
- Past services provided by family members;
- Future services required;
- Past medical expenses; and
- Future medical expenses.
There are some limits to these claims and it is vital that you get expert advice before proceeding so if this sounds like you, then call DBH Lawyers today for a free first interview on 1800 324 324 or send us a message.