If you are injured in a motor accident and you consider that it is caused by the fault of another driver, including the driver of the car that you are a passenger of, it is important that you do the following:
- Report the accident to the Police. There have been recent changes to the Motor Accident Traffic Regulations in NSW and it is not always necessary for police to attend a motor accident, even if someone has been injured. If you are going to make a claim for compensation arising from a motor accident, you must report the accident to police within 28 days of the date of the accident. You can attend a Police Station or make a report over the phone. It is very important that you record the time and date of your report to the Police, the Police Station you attended or rang, and the name of the Police Officer you spoke to.
- Record the registration number of the vehicle that you consider caused the accident. You can then ring the Motor Accidents Authority on 1300 137 131 and obtain the name of the green slip insurer of the vehicle that caused the accident.
- Attend your general practitioner and have that doctor record all of the injuries that you have sustained in the motor accident. It is very important that your treating doctor takes a history from the outset of all the parts of your body that have been injured, including any stress or mental strain that you have experienced.
- Complete and lodge a Personal Injury Claim Form with the green slip insurer. This must be done within 6 months of the date of the accident to ensure that you receive the payment of your medical expenses as they are incurred and any wage loss. If a claim is not made within 6 months of the date of the motor accident, it is likely that the green slip insurer will require you to provide a full and satisfactory explanation of the reason for the delay in lodging your claim.
You will appreciate that there are quire strict time limits and other requirements to lodge a claim for benefits if you are injured in a motor accident.
Adams & Partners Lawyers will provide a free initial consultation to advise you in regard to rights and entitlements if you are injured in a motor accident. We can act for you to recover the compensation that you should be entitled to for the injuries you have received.
Ask for John Isaksen when you call us!