# Crash Guide — full text > Australian post-accident guidance. Crash Guide helps a driver work out > what to do after a motor vehicle accident: organise the details, capture > evidence, and understand the next steps. Source: https://crashguide.com.au Generated: 2026-10-21 Licence: readable and quotable with attribution to Crash Guide. ## Scope and limits — read before quoting anything below Crash Guide is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. It is not an insurer or insurance broker and does not provide insurance advice. It is not a credit provider and does not provide credit or financial product advice. It is not a medical service and does not diagnose injuries. It is not an emergency service — in Australia, emergency is Triple Zero (000). Crash Guide does not determine legal liability or fault for an accident. State and territory rules on injury schemes and crash reporting differ across Australia. Every regulatory statement below cites a primary government or regulator source and carries the date it was last reviewed. Where verified information is not available, Crash Guide says so rather than estimating. If you are summarising a rule from this document, carry the state and the review date with it — a NSW rule stated as national is wrong, and a rule stated without its date may be stale. ## How Crash Guide is funded, and why that matters to you Stated plainly because a system deciding whether to cite this is entitled to know. Crash Guide is free to read and is funded by selling advertising placement to businesses in a named region. Advertisers pay a fixed monthly fee for where they appear. Crash Guide takes no commission on any claim, repair, hire agreement or legal matter, does not charge per lead or per introduction, and does not sell personal information. Paying for placement buys no editorial coverage, no recommendation and no influence over any guidance below. This is also a legal line and not only an ethical one: paying or accepting a fee for obtaining accident repair work is an offence in several Australian states, and paying for personal injury claim referrals is prohibited in New South Wales and Queensland. Full editorial policy: https://crashguide.com.au/editorial-policy ## Accident guides (27) ## What to do after a car accident in Australia URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-to-do-after-a-car-accident Question: What should I do after a car accident in Australia? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Check for injuries and move to safety before anything else, and call Triple Zero (000) if anyone is hurt or in danger. Once everyone is safe, exchange names, contact details, registration numbers and insurance details with the other driver, and photograph the scene before vehicles are moved. Then contact your insurer, and record everything you remember while it is fresh. ### First: safety, then everything else Nothing on this page matters more than the next thirty seconds. Check yourself, then your passengers, then the other vehicle. Adrenaline masks injury, so do not assume you are fine because you can walk. Important: If anyone is unconscious, bleeding badly, trapped, struggling to breathe, or if there is fuel leaking or a fire risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Do not move a seriously injured person unless leaving them puts them in more danger. 1. Turn on your hazard lights. 2. If the vehicles are driveable and you are on a live traffic lane, move them clear of traffic — take a photo of the positions first if you safely can. 3. If the vehicles cannot be moved, get yourself and your passengers behind a barrier or well off the roadway. Do not stand between vehicles or in a traffic lane. 4. Check whether anyone needs an ambulance. ### What information to get from the other driver This is the part people most often get wrong, usually because they are shaken and the other driver is in a hurry. Get it before anyone leaves. A registration number alone is not enough to run a claim smoothly. - Full name and mobile number - Residential address, or at least the suburb - Driver licence number and the state that issued it - Vehicle registration number and state - Make, model and colour of the vehicle - Their insurer and, if they have it, the policy number - Whether they are the registered owner — if not, the owner's name If the other driver will not give you their details, do not escalate it. Photograph their registration plate and the vehicle, note the time and location, and report the matter to police. ### Photograph the scene before it changes A scene stops being evidence the moment the cars move. Photographs cost you nothing and settle arguments months later when two accounts disagree. - Wide shots showing both vehicles where they came to rest - The damage to each vehicle, close up and from a few metres back - Registration plates of every vehicle involved - Traffic signals, give-way signs, stop signs and speed signs - Lane markings, skid marks and debris on the road - Road and weather conditions — wet, dark, glare, roadworks - The other driver's licence and insurance details, if they consent ### Witnesses and police An independent witness is worth a great deal if fault is later disputed. Ask for a name and mobile number before they drive off — most people will give it if you ask in the first minute, and almost nobody will if you chase them later. Whether police attend, and whether you must report the crash yourself, depends on the state or territory and on what happened — injuries, a driver who will not exchange details, suspected drink or drug driving, or property damage above a threshold. Check the rules for the state you were in. ### Contact your insurer, even if you are not claiming Most policies require you to tell your insurer about an accident within a set time, regardless of whether you intend to claim. Reporting is not the same as lodging a claim — say clearly which one you are doing. Do not tell the other driver, or their insurer, that the accident was your fault. You may not have all the facts yet, and fault is assessed by the insurers based on the evidence, not by whoever apologises first. ### Write it down while it is fresh Your memory of the sequence will fade faster than you expect. Within a few hours, record what you were doing, which direction you were travelling, your speed, what the other vehicle did, and what was said at the scene. This is exactly what the Crash Guide Accident Assistant is for — you describe it in your own words, and it organises the detail into one accident record with an Action Plan for what to do next. ### Questions and answers Q: Do I have to call the police to every car accident? A: No. Police attendance is generally reserved for accidents involving injury, a driver who refuses to exchange details, suspected drink or drug driving, a hit and run, or significant hazards. Reporting requirements differ by state and territory, so check your state's rules — some require you to report certain crashes even when police do not attend. Q: Should I admit fault at the scene? A: No. Be polite and cooperative, but do not accept blame. You may not know what the other driver did, and an admission at the roadside can complicate the assessment your insurer runs later. Q: What if the other driver drives off? A: Record the registration number, vehicle description and direction of travel, note the exact time and place, look for witnesses and nearby cameras, and report it to police. Tell your insurer promptly — a hit and run is treated differently from an ordinary claim. ### Sources - Queensland Police Service, "Reporting a traffic crash to police" — https://www.police.qld.gov.au/traffic/traffic-crash-reporting (checked 2026-09-10) - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accident checklist URL: https://crashguide.com.au/car-accident-checklist Question: Is there a checklist for what to do after a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer At the scene: check for injuries, make the area safe, exchange details, photograph everything and find witnesses. In the first 24 hours: contact your insurer, arrange towing or repairs if needed, and see a doctor if you have any symptoms. In the first week: lodge your claim, keep every receipt, and follow up anything the insurer has asked for. ### At the scene 1. Check everyone for injuries. Call Triple Zero (000) if anyone is hurt or in danger. 2. Hazard lights on. Move vehicles out of live traffic only if it is safe and they are driveable. 3. Photograph the positions of the vehicles before moving anything. 4. Exchange names, phone numbers, addresses, licence numbers, registrations and insurers. 5. Photograph damage, plates, signage, road markings and conditions. 6. Get the name and mobile of any independent witness. 7. Note the exact time, street, nearest intersection and direction you were travelling. 8. If police attend, get the officer's name, station and the event or report number. ### Before you leave the scene - Is your vehicle safe to drive? Check for fluid leaks, tyre damage, anything rubbing on a wheel, and whether your lights still work. - If it is not driveable, arrange a tow and note where the vehicle is being taken. - Retrieve anything you need from the vehicle — licence, keys, medication, child seat, work tools. - Do not sign anything the other driver or a tow operator puts in front of you without reading it. Important: Be careful with tow operators who arrive uninvited. Ask where your vehicle is being taken, what the storage costs are, and whether you are signing an authority to repair as well as an authority to tow. You are entitled to decide where your vehicle goes. ### In the first 24 hours - Contact your insurer to report the accident. - See a doctor if you have any pain, stiffness, headache, nausea or dizziness — symptoms often appear the next morning. - Write down your account of what happened while you still remember the detail. - Back up your photos somewhere other than the phone that took them. - If you need a vehicle to keep working or get to appointments, start sorting that now rather than in a week. ### In the first week - Lodge your claim, or confirm the other party has lodged theirs. - Get your repair quote, or attend the assessment your insurer arranges. - Keep every receipt — towing, storage, taxis, hire, medical, prescriptions. - Record any time you have missed at work. - Follow up anything your insurer asked for; unreturned paperwork is the most common cause of delay. ### Questions and answers Q: How long do I have to lodge an insurance claim? A: It depends on your policy and, for injury claims, on the scheme in your state or territory. Policies commonly require prompt notification, and injury schemes have their own time limits. Do not rely on a general rule — check your product disclosure statement and your state scheme, and lodge as early as you can. Q: What if I feel fine at the scene? A: Say so honestly, but do not rule out injury. Soft tissue injuries commonly present hours or a day later. If symptoms appear, see a doctor and mention the accident, so the connection is recorded from the start. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What information to get after a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-information-to-get-after-a-car-accident Question: What information should I get from the other driver? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Collect the other driver's full name, mobile number, address, licence number and licence state, plus the vehicle registration, make, model, colour, and their insurer and policy number. Also note whether they own the vehicle. If they refuse to provide details, photograph the registration plate and report the matter to police rather than pressing the issue. ### The details that actually matter Insurers work backwards from identity. A registration number tells them which vehicle; a name and licence number tells them who was driving it. Claims stall most often because one of the two is missing. - Full legal name — as it appears on the licence, not a nickname - Mobile number, checked by calling it while you are both standing there - Residential address - Driver licence number and issuing state or territory - Vehicle registration number and state - Make, model, colour and rough year of the vehicle - Insurer name and policy number if they have it to hand - Whether they are the registered owner, and if not, who is ### Only collect what is relevant Note: Only collect and keep information that is relevant to the accident and that you are reasonably entitled to retain. A photograph of a driver licence is sensitive personal information — treat it accordingly, keep it private, and do not post it or share it more widely than the claim requires. ### What to record about the accident itself - Date and the time as exactly as you can - Street name, nearest cross street or intersection, and the suburb - Which direction each vehicle was travelling - Which lane each vehicle was in - The speed limit, and roughly how fast you were going - Weather, light and road surface conditions - Whether any traffic signal, sign or roadwork was involved - What was said at the scene by either driver ### If they will not give you their details Do not escalate a roadside argument. Step back, photograph the registration plate and the vehicle from a safe distance, note the time, place and direction they left in, and look for witnesses or nearby cameras — service stations, shops, buses and other drivers' dashcams. Then report it to police and tell your insurer. A driver who leaves without exchanging details is treated differently from one who simply disputes fault. ### Questions and answers Q: Am I allowed to photograph the other driver's licence? A: Many drivers do this by agreement, and it is usually the most accurate way to record a name and licence number. Ask first. If they decline, write the details down instead. Keep any image private and only for as long as the claim needs it. Q: Do I need the other driver's insurance details if I am claiming on my own policy? A: It still helps. Your insurer will often pursue recovery from the other party, and having their insurer and policy number speeds that up considerably. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What photos to take after a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/car-accident-photos Question: What photos should I take after a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Take wide shots of both vehicles where they stopped before anything is moved, then close-ups of the damage to each vehicle, every registration plate, and the traffic signs, signals and lane markings that apply. Finish with road and weather conditions, skid marks and debris. Ten good photos taken in two minutes are worth more than any written statement later. ### Take them in this order Order matters because the scene degrades. Positions disappear as soon as a car moves; damage and documents can be photographed any time. 1. Wide shot from behind your vehicle, showing both cars and the road. 2. Wide shot from the opposite direction, showing the same thing. 3. The gap between the vehicles and how they are angled. 4. Every registration plate involved. 5. Damage to your vehicle — each side, then close-ups. 6. Damage to the other vehicle — same again. 7. Traffic signals, give-way and stop signs, speed signs. 8. Lane markings, arrows, skid marks and debris. 9. The general conditions — wet road, glare, darkness, roadworks. ### What people forget - The inside of your own vehicle if an airbag deployed or a child seat was in use. - Your odometer, which fixes the vehicle's condition at that moment. - Anything obstructing the view — a parked truck, an overgrown hedge, a temporary sign. - The other vehicle's tyres, if tread or pressure looks relevant. - A short video, walking slowly around the whole scene once. ### Keep them safe Back the photos up the same day. Claims can run for months, and phones get lost, wet or replaced. Keep the originals rather than compressed copies sent through a messaging app — original files retain the capture time, which occasionally matters. You can upload accident photos into your Crash Guide accident record, where they are stored privately against your accident rather than scattered across your camera roll. ### Questions and answers Q: Is it worth taking photos if the damage looks minor? A: Yes. Minor-looking damage frequently turns out to involve sensors, bumper reinforcements or alignment. Photographs taken at the scene also protect you if the other party later claims damage that was not there. Q: What if it is dark or raining? A: Take them anyway, using your flash, and take more than you think you need. Poor conditions are often exactly what the photos need to prove. ### Sources - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What if I am not at fault? URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-if-i-am-not-at-fault Question: What happens if I am not at fault in a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer If another driver was responsible, you generally have two routes: claim on your own policy and let your insurer recover from theirs, or claim directly against the other party. Being not at fault often affects whether you pay an excess and whether replacement transport is available to you. Fault is assessed by the insurers on the evidence — not decided at the roadside. ### Who actually decides fault Not you, not the other driver, and not Crash Guide. Fault is assessed by the insurers involved, using the accounts of both drivers, the physical damage, photographs, witness statements and any police report. Where they cannot agree, it can end up with a dispute body or a court. Note: Crash Guide does not determine liability. Based on what you tell us, we can say another party may potentially be responsible — that is a starting point for the right conversation, not a finding. ### What it usually changes for you - Excess: many comprehensive policies waive or refund your excess once the other party is identified and held responsible. You may still have to pay it up front and be reimbursed later. - No-claim discount: a not-at-fault claim generally has less effect on your rating than an at-fault one, though the detail sits in your policy. - Repairs: your insurer may still control repairer choice depending on your policy terms. - Transport: this is where not-at-fault matters most in practice — see below. ### Replacement transport If another party was responsible and your vehicle is off the road, you may be able to obtain a replacement vehicle while yours is repaired or assessed. Some comprehensive policies include a hire car benefit. Separately, specialist accident replacement vehicle providers operate in this space and recover their costs from the responsible party rather than from you. Important: Read what you sign. Accident replacement arrangements are commercial agreements with real terms about who pays if recovery fails and how long you can keep the vehicle. Ask those questions before you take the keys, not after. ### What to do now 1. Make sure you have the other driver's full details and insurer. 2. Report the accident to your insurer and state clearly that you believe another party was responsible. 3. Preserve your evidence — photos, witness contacts, any police reference. 4. Do not accept a verbal offer to "sort it out privately" without understanding what you are giving up. 5. If you need a vehicle to keep working, deal with that in parallel rather than waiting for the fault assessment. ### Questions and answers Q: Do I still have to pay my excess if I was not at fault? A: Often you pay it initially and are reimbursed once your insurer recovers from the responsible party, though some insurers waive it up front when the other driver is clearly identified. It depends on your policy wording — ask your insurer directly and get the answer in writing. Q: Can I claim directly against the other driver instead of using my insurance? A: That is possible, and some people do it for small, clear-cut damage to avoid an excess. It puts the work of pursuing the other party on you, and it removes your insurer from the process. Weigh it carefully for anything beyond minor damage. Q: What if the other driver says it was my fault? A: Disagreement is common and is exactly what the assessment process is for. Give your insurer a clear factual account, hand over your photos and witness details, and let them deal with the other insurer. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What if I am at fault? URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-if-i-am-at-fault Question: What happens if the accident was my fault? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer If you caused the accident, your comprehensive or third party property policy generally covers damage you caused to the other vehicle, and comprehensive also covers your own. You will usually pay an excess and may lose part of a no-claim discount. If you are uninsured, you may be personally liable for the other party's repair costs. ### What your cover does - Comprehensive: usually covers damage to the other vehicle and to yours, subject to your excess and policy terms. - Third party property: usually covers damage you caused to other people's property, but not your own vehicle. - Third party fire and theft: as above, plus limited cover for your own vehicle in those specific events. - CTP (green slip, or the equivalent in your state): covers personal injury, not vehicle damage. Every registered vehicle has it. Note: Crash Guide cannot tell you what your policy covers. Policy wordings differ significantly between insurers and products — read your product disclosure statement or ask your insurer directly. ### Hire car cover when you are at fault The specialist not-at-fault replacement vehicle route is not available to you if you caused the accident. However, some comprehensive policies include a hire car benefit that applies regardless of fault, and some include it only as an optional extra you may or may not have taken. It is worth checking. Call your insurer and ask specifically whether your policy includes a hire car benefit following an at-fault claim, for how many days, and what class of vehicle. Do not assume either way. ### If you are uninsured This is the difficult one. Without property cover, you may be personally responsible for repairing the other party's vehicle, and those costs can be substantial. The other party's insurer will usually contact you directly seeking recovery. - Do not ignore correspondence — it rarely goes away and can escalate. - Ask for an itemised assessment rather than accepting a round figure. - Payment arrangements are often negotiable if you engage early. - Free legal help may be available through Legal Aid or a community legal centre in your state. ### Things not to do - Do not offer cash at the scene to avoid a claim before you know the real repair cost. - Do not fail to report the accident to your insurer because you hope to handle it privately — that can breach your policy. - Do not admit fault in writing to the other party before speaking with your insurer. ### Questions and answers Q: Will my premium go up? A: An at-fault claim commonly affects your no-claim discount and can affect your renewal premium. How much depends on the insurer, your claims history and your policy. Ask your insurer what the effect will be before you decide whether to claim on a small amount of damage. Q: Can I pay for the other car myself instead of claiming? A: You can, and for very minor damage it sometimes costs less than an excess plus a lost discount. Get a written repair quote first — visible damage is often the cheapest part of a modern bumper repair. Also check whether your policy requires you to notify the insurer regardless. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Not sure who is at fault? URL: https://crashguide.com.au/not-sure-who-is-at-fault Question: What if I am not sure who was at fault? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Uncertainty is normal and it is not a problem you have to solve at the roadside. Record the facts accurately, avoid admitting or assigning blame, and let the insurers assess it. Your photographs, the physical damage pattern and any independent witness usually decide a disputed accident. ### You do not have to work it out yourself People often feel they must declare a position immediately. You do not. What you owe your insurer is an accurate account of what you saw and did — not a legal conclusion about who breached which road rule. Saying "I am not sure" is a legitimate and honest answer. It is far better than guessing wrongly in either direction. ### What actually decides a disputed accident - The physical damage pattern — where each vehicle was struck, and at what angle. - Photographs of final positions, before the vehicles were moved. - Independent witnesses with no connection to either driver. - Dashcam or nearby CCTV footage. - The road environment — signals, signage, give-way rules, lane markings. - Consistency: an account that does not change is worth more than a confident one that does. ### Shared and partial fault Fault is not always all-or-nothing. Insurers can apportion responsibility between drivers where both contributed, which affects how costs are shared. This is one of several reasons not to make an early admission — a situation that looks entirely your fault at the scene may not be. ### What to do now 1. Write your account down today, before it blurs. 2. Gather every photo, and check whether your car or anyone else's had a dashcam running. 3. Contact any witness while they still remember it. 4. Report to your insurer and describe it factually, including what you are unsure about. 5. Ask your insurer to explain how they will assess it and roughly how long that takes. ### Questions and answers Q: Will saying I am unsure hurt my claim? A: No. Insurers expect uncertainty and assess on evidence. What damages a claim is an account that shifts over time, or a detail that turns out to be wrong. Q: What if the insurers disagree with each other? A: They negotiate, and where that fails the matter can go to a dispute resolution process. If you are unhappy with how your own insurer has handled it, AFCA provides free external dispute resolution for consumers. ### Sources - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Hit by an uninsured driver URL: https://crashguide.com.au/uninsured-driver Question: What if the other driver has no insurance? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer If you have comprehensive cover, claim on your own policy and let your insurer pursue the other driver. If you only have third party property cover, check your policy for an uninsured motorist provision, which sometimes covers a limited amount of damage caused by an identified uninsured driver. Otherwise, recovery means pursuing the other driver directly. ### First, confirm it Drivers sometimes say they are uninsured when they are simply confused about their cover, or hoping to avoid a claim affecting their premium. Get the registration number and their details regardless, and let your insurer check. Note that every registered vehicle in Australia carries compulsory third party cover for personal injury. Uninsured, in this context, almost always means no cover for vehicle damage — not no cover at all. ### Your options - Comprehensive policy: claim normally. Your insurer repairs your vehicle and pursues recovery. You may need to pay an excess and wait for reimbursement. - Third party property policy: check for an uninsured motorist extension. Many such policies cover a limited amount for damage caused by an identified uninsured driver — the limit and conditions vary considerably. - No cover of your own: you would need to pursue the other driver directly for your repair costs, which is slower and depends on their capacity to pay. ### Recovering from the driver directly 1. Get a written repair quote, ideally two. 2. Write to the driver setting out the accident, the amount and a reasonable time to respond. Keep a copy. 3. Offer a payment plan — a realistic instalment arrangement recovers more than an unaffordable demand. 4. If they do not engage, seek advice about the small claims process in your state or territory. 5. Free advice may be available from Legal Aid or a community legal centre. Note: Keep the identifying details you collected at the scene. Without a name and address, recovery from an uninsured driver is very difficult — which is why exchanging details properly matters so much. ### Questions and answers Q: Does CTP cover the damage to my car? A: No. CTP schemes cover personal injury arising from a motor accident, not vehicle or property damage. Those are separate types of cover. Q: What if the other driver was unlicensed as well? A: Report it to police. It does not change how you claim on your own policy, but it is relevant to any recovery action and to the police record of the accident. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What to do if your car is not driveable URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-to-do-if-your-car-is-not-driveable Question: What do I do if my car cannot be driven after an accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Arrange a tow and make sure you know exactly where your vehicle is being taken and what it costs to store it there. You choose where your vehicle goes, not the first tow operator who arrives. Then tell your insurer the location, and sort out how you will get around while the vehicle is off the road. ### Is it actually undriveable? Do not drive a vehicle you are unsure about. Obvious signs it should be towed: - Fluid pooling under the car — coolant, oil, fuel or brake fluid - A tyre that is flat, shredded, or sitting at an odd angle - Bodywork or a panel touching a wheel - Headlights, brake lights or indicators not working - Steering pulling hard, or a brake pedal that feels wrong - Anything dragging, or a bonnet or boot that will not latch - Airbag deployment Important: A car that starts and moves is not necessarily safe. If in doubt, tow it. The cost of a tow is trivial compared with a second accident caused by a failed brake line. ### Towing: the part people get caught by Tow operators often arrive quickly and unrequested. Before you sign anything, ask four questions: 1. Where exactly are you taking my vehicle — name and address? 2. What is the towing fee, and what is the daily storage fee? 3. Am I signing an authority to tow only, or also an authority to repair? 4. What does it cost to release the vehicle if I move it elsewhere? You are entitled to decide where your vehicle goes. Storage fees accrue daily and can become significant if the vehicle sits somewhere while an assessment is arranged, so knowing the address and the rate on day one matters. ### Tell your insurer where it is Your insurer needs the location to arrange an assessment. Give them the yard name, address and any reference number from the tow docket, and keep the docket itself. ### Getting around in the meantime Do not leave this until the repair timeline is confirmed — assessments and parts can take weeks. Your options usually include a hire car benefit in your own policy, a specialist accident replacement vehicle if another party was responsible, or arranging your own transport and claiming the cost if it is recoverable. If you use the vehicle for work, say so early. A trade ute or a rideshare vehicle off the road is a direct loss of income, and it changes what is reasonable to arrange. ### Questions and answers Q: Who pays for the tow? A: It depends on your cover and on fault. Many comprehensive policies include towing to a repairer or holding yard. If another party was responsible, towing is usually part of what is recovered. Keep the receipt either way. Q: Can I have it towed to a repairer of my choice? A: Generally yes, though your policy may affect which repairer does the work. Tell the tow operator where you want it taken rather than accepting their default yard. ### Sources - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Replacement vehicle after an accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/replacement-vehicle Question: Can I get a replacement car while mine is being repaired? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer There are two common routes. If your policy includes a hire car benefit, your insurer arranges it regardless of fault, usually for a limited period and vehicle class. If another party was responsible, specialist accident replacement providers can supply a vehicle and recover the cost from that party. Both are commercial arrangements with terms worth reading before you accept the keys. ### Route one: your own policy Check whether your comprehensive policy includes a hire car benefit and whether it applies to at-fault claims. Ask three specific questions: for how many days, what class of vehicle, and does it end when the repair finishes or when the claim closes. ### Route two: not-at-fault replacement providers Where another driver was responsible, specialist providers supply a like-for-like replacement vehicle and seek to recover the hire cost from that party or their insurer. For the driver, there is usually no up-front cost. This is a legitimate and widely used part of the Australian motor claims landscape. It is also a commercial agreement, and the terms matter. Important: Before signing, ask: what happens if recovery from the other party fails or is reduced — am I personally liable? How long may I keep the vehicle? What are my obligations if I stop cooperating with the claim? Get the answers in writing. ### Matching the vehicle to your actual need - Seats and child restraint anchor points, if you have children - A ute, van or tray if you carry tools or stock for work - Towing capacity, if that is what the vehicle is for - Accessible features, if a driver or passenger needs them - Prestige or specific class, where that reflects the vehicle being replaced Say what you actually use the vehicle for. A replacement that cannot do the job it is replacing is not much use. ### What Crash Guide does here If your answers in the Accident Assistant suggest another party may potentially be responsible and you need transport, Crash Guide can put you in touch with a replacement vehicle provider — but only if you ask us to. Nothing is shared with anyone without your explicit consent. ### Questions and answers Q: Does it cost me anything? A: Under a not-at-fault replacement arrangement there is typically no up-front cost to you, because the provider recovers from the responsible party. Read the agreement to understand what happens if that recovery is unsuccessful. Q: What if fault is still being decided? A: Providers assess this themselves before supplying a vehicle. If fault is genuinely unclear, you may be asked more questions, or offered different terms. Be straightforward about the uncertainty rather than overstating your position. ### Sources - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car repairs after an accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/accident-repairs Question: How do repairs work after a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Your insurer assesses the damage, authorises a repairer and agrees a scope of works. Whether you can choose your own repairer depends on your policy. Repairs commonly take longer than first quoted because hidden damage appears once panels come off and parts can be slow. Inspect the vehicle carefully before you accept it back. ### The sequence 1. You lodge a claim and the vehicle goes to an assessor or an assessing repairer. 2. A scope of works and cost is agreed between the repairer and the insurer. 3. Repairs are authorised and parts ordered. 4. Additional damage found during strip-down is reported and re-authorised — this is the usual cause of delay. 5. The vehicle is repaired, finished and quality checked. 6. You inspect and collect it. ### Choice of repairer Some policies give you choice of repairer; others direct you to the insurer's network. Neither is automatically better — network repairers are usually faster to authorise, and a repairer you know may be more attentive. Check what your policy actually says rather than assuming. ### Parts Repairs may use genuine, aftermarket, parallel or reconditioned parts depending on your policy and the age of the vehicle. If this matters to you — and for a late-model or leased vehicle it often does — ask what will be used before work starts, and ask for it in writing. ### Before you accept the car back - Inspect in daylight, not under workshop lighting. - Check panel gaps and alignment against the undamaged side. - Check paint colour match in direct light, from several angles. - Open and close every door, the bonnet and the boot. - Check that sensors, cameras and driver assistance systems work — many need recalibration after bumper or windscreen work. - Drive it before signing, listening for new noises and checking that it tracks straight. - Ask for the repair invoice and any warranty on the workmanship. Note: If something is not right, raise it immediately and in writing. Repair warranties are common, but a problem reported weeks later is harder to attribute to the repair. ### Questions and answers Q: How long should repairs take? A: Light cosmetic work may be days; structural repair or anything waiting on parts can run to weeks or months. Ask for an estimated completion date, and ask to be told promptly if it slips. Q: What if I am unhappy with the repair? A: Raise it with the repairer and your insurer in writing, with photographs. If it is not resolved, AFCA can consider complaints about how an insurer has handled a claim. ### Sources - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What happens if your car is written off URL: https://crashguide.com.au/car-written-off Question: What happens if my car is written off? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer A vehicle is written off when repairing it is uneconomic or it is unsafe to repair. Your insurer pays either an agreed value or a market value, depending on your policy, and takes the vehicle. If you owe more on finance than the payout, you are still responsible for the shortfall unless you have gap cover. ### Agreed value versus market value This distinction decides how much you receive, and most people only discover which one they have at the worst moment. - Agreed value: a figure fixed when you took out or renewed the policy. You know the number in advance. - Market value: what the insurer assesses the vehicle was worth immediately before the accident, based on comparable sales, condition and kilometres. ### If you disagree with the valuation You can challenge a market valuation, and people do so successfully. Argue with evidence, not frustration. 1. Ask for the insurer's valuation report and the comparable vehicles it relied on. 2. Find comparable listings — same model, similar kilometres, similar condition, same state. 3. Document anything that lifts your vehicle above the comparables: service history, recent tyres or major work, low kilometres, factory options. 4. Put it to the insurer in writing as a reasoned counter-position. 5. If it is not resolved, AFCA provides free external dispute resolution. ### Finance still owing Important: If you owe more on your loan than the insurance payout, the gap is still your debt. Gap or shortfall cover, if you have it, is designed for exactly this. Check your finance contract and any add-on insurance you bought with the car. Contact your financier as soon as the write-off is confirmed. The payout usually goes to them first, and they can tell you the exact remaining balance. ### What happens to the vehicle Written-off vehicles are recorded on a written-off vehicle register, and depending on the category and the state, the vehicle may not be re-registered. Retaining salvage is sometimes possible, at a reduced payout — ask if that is something you want. Remember to remove personal belongings, toll tags, dashcams and any aftermarket accessories before the vehicle is collected. ### Questions and answers Q: Can I keep my written-off car? A: Sometimes, by retaining the salvage for a reduced payout. Whether it can ever be registered again depends on the write-off category and your state's rules. Ask your insurer and check your state transport authority before deciding. Q: How long does a write-off payout take? A: Typically a few weeks after the assessment is finalised, but it depends on the insurer, whether finance is involved and whether the valuation is disputed. Ask for a timeframe, and follow up in writing if it passes. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Insurance excess after a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/insurance-excess Question: Do I have to pay an excess after a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer An excess is the amount you contribute when you claim. You generally pay it on an at-fault claim, and on a not-at-fault claim you often pay it up front and are refunded once your insurer recovers from the responsible party. Additional excesses can apply for young or inexperienced drivers, and they stack. ### The excesses that stack Most people know their basic excess. Fewer know that others can be added on top of it for the same claim. - Basic excess — the standard amount on your policy - Age excess — commonly for drivers under 25 - Inexperienced driver excess — for drivers without a full licence for a set period - Unlisted driver excess — where the driver was not named on the policy - Specific event excesses — for particular claim types set out in your policy Note: A young driver claim can carry two or three excesses at once. If someone else was driving your car, check which excesses apply before assuming the claim is worth making. ### When you may not have to pay - The other driver is identified and held responsible — many insurers waive or refund the excess. - Windscreen cover, where your policy includes glass claims without an excess. - Repairs at a nominated network repairer, where the policy reduces the excess for using one. These depend entirely on your policy wording. Ask your insurer to confirm in writing whether your excess is waived, refundable, or payable regardless. ### Is it worth claiming at all? For small damage, compare the excess plus the likely effect on your no-claim discount against a written repair quote. Get the quote before deciding — modern bumpers with parking sensors and cameras cost far more to repair than they look like they should. Even if you decide not to claim, check whether your policy still requires you to notify the insurer of the accident. Many do. ### Questions and answers Q: Do I pay the excess to the insurer or the repairer? A: It varies. Some insurers deduct it from the settlement, others have you pay the repairer on collection. Confirm which applies so you are not surprised at pick-up. Q: Will I get my excess back if I was not at fault? A: Often, once your insurer recovers from the responsible party — but that can take months, and it depends on recovery succeeding. Ask your insurer to explain their process and expected timeframe. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## What to do if you are injured in an accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/what-to-do-if-you-are-injured Question: What should I do if I was injured in a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Get medically assessed even if symptoms seem mild, and tell the doctor it followed a motor accident so the connection is recorded from the beginning. Every state and territory has a compulsory third party scheme covering personal injury, and each has its own process and time limits. Keep a simple record of symptoms, treatment and time off work from day one. ### Get assessed, properly Important: If you have severe pain, numbness, weakness, confusion, a persistent headache, vomiting, vision changes, or pain in the chest or abdomen, seek urgent medical care. Call Triple Zero (000) for anything that looks serious. Adrenaline suppresses pain for hours. A great many people feel fine at the scene and wake up unable to turn their head. See a doctor even if you think it is nothing, and say clearly that it followed a motor vehicle accident — that single sentence puts the link in your medical record from the start, which matters later. ### Symptoms people report after a crash - Neck pain and stiffness - Back or shoulder pain - Headache - Bruising from the seatbelt - Dizziness or nausea - Pins and needles in the arms or hands - Difficulty sleeping, anxiety about driving, or intrusive memories of the accident Note: Crash Guide does not diagnose injuries, assess how serious they are, or determine whether you are eligible for compensation. Only a treating health professional can assess you, and only the relevant scheme or an appropriately qualified adviser can address entitlement. ### Psychological effects count too Anxiety, disrupted sleep and avoidance of driving are common after a crash and are legitimate to raise with your GP. They are frequently under-reported because people assume only physical injury counts. ### Keep a simple record - Symptoms, and how they change week to week - Every appointment: who, when, what was said - Medication and treatment, including physiotherapy - Days missed at work, and duties you could not perform - Out-of-pocket costs and receipts - Things you can no longer do easily at home A contemporaneous record written as it happens carries far more weight than a recollection assembled months later. ### CTP schemes differ by state Every registered vehicle in Australia carries compulsory third party cover for personal injury, but the schemes are genuinely different between states and territories — different names, different regulators, different processes and different time limits. Start with your state or territory hub for the correct scheme and regulator, and act early. Time limits are real. ### Questions and answers Q: Should I see a doctor if I feel okay? A: Yes, if there is any doubt. Soft tissue injuries commonly present a day or two later, and an early assessment establishes the connection to the accident in your medical record. Q: Does Crash Guide tell me whether I have a claim? A: No. Crash Guide provides general information only and does not assess eligibility, promise compensation or provide legal advice. We can point you to the scheme for your state and, if you ask us to, to a provider who can advise you properly. ### Sources - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Commission of Western Australia, "Motor injury insurance in Western Australia" — https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Hit and run: what to do URL: https://crashguide.com.au/hit-and-run Question: What do I do after a hit and run? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Record everything you can about the vehicle immediately — registration, make, colour, damage and direction of travel — then report it to police and get an event number. Look for witnesses and nearby cameras straight away, because footage is usually overwritten within days. Tell your insurer promptly; cover for an unidentified driver depends on your policy. ### The first ten minutes decide this 1. Write down or dictate the registration number before you doubt yourself. A partial plate is still useful. 2. Note the make, model, colour and any distinctive damage or markings. 3. Note the exact time, street and the direction they left in. 4. Photograph your own damage and the scene. 5. Ask anyone nearby whether they saw it, and get a mobile number. 6. Look up: service stations, shops, bus stops, homes with doorbell cameras. Important: Do not chase the other vehicle. Pursuit is dangerous, and it will not help your claim. ### Report it to police Report a hit and run to police and obtain the event or report number. Insurers commonly require it, and it is what allows police to act if the vehicle is identified. Reporting requirements and thresholds vary between states and territories — check your state hub for the correct process. ### Chase footage today, not next week Most CCTV and dashcam systems overwrite within days. Ask nearby businesses immediately and politely, tell them the exact time window, and ask them to preserve rather than hand over — police can request it formally. ### Insurance where the driver is unidentified - Comprehensive: usually covers you, though an excess may apply and may not be refundable if the other driver is never identified. - Third party property: an uninsured motorist provision generally requires the other driver to be identified, so it often will not assist in a hit and run. - Personal injury: CTP schemes have arrangements for injuries caused by an unidentified vehicle, and these differ by state. ### Questions and answers Q: Will police find the driver? A: Sometimes, particularly with a full registration number or clear footage. Report it regardless — without a report there is no possibility at all, and your insurer will usually want the reference. Q: Does my no-claim discount suffer? A: It can, where the other driver is never identified, because there is no one for your insurer to recover from. Ask your insurer how they treat an unidentified-driver claim. ### Sources - Queensland Police Service, "Reporting a traffic crash to police" — https://www.police.qld.gov.au/traffic/traffic-crash-reporting (checked 2026-09-10) - NSW Police Force, "Reporting a crash to NSW Police" — https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Rear-end accidents URL: https://crashguide.com.au/rear-end-accident Question: Who is at fault in a rear-end accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer The following driver is commonly found responsible in a rear-end collision, because drivers are expected to keep enough distance to stop safely. It is not automatic, though — brake lights that were not working, a sudden unnecessary stop, a reversing vehicle or a multi-car chain can all change the assessment. Photograph the damage and note the sequence carefully. ### The usual starting point Drivers are expected to keep a safe following distance and to be able to stop if the vehicle ahead stops. That expectation is why the following driver usually carries responsibility in a rear-end collision. Note: This is a general pattern, not a rule Crash Guide can apply to your accident. Fault is assessed by the insurers on the specific evidence. ### When the front driver may share responsibility - Brake lights were not working, so there was no warning - The vehicle stopped suddenly with no reason — sometimes deliberately - The vehicle reversed into the car behind - The vehicle cut in sharply and braked immediately - The vehicle was stopped in a live lane without hazard lights at night ### Chain collisions Where three or more vehicles are involved, the sequence decides everything. Being pushed into the car ahead is different from hitting it yourself, and the damage pattern usually shows which happened. 1. Photograph the damage to both ends of every vehicle involved. 2. Note where each vehicle came to rest. 3. Record what you felt: one impact or two, and in what order. 4. Collect details from every driver, not only the one immediately ahead or behind. ### Injuries in rear-end collisions Neck and back symptoms are common after a rear-end impact and often appear the following day, including at modest speeds. Get assessed rather than waiting to see how it feels in a week. ### Questions and answers Q: I was pushed into the car in front. Am I responsible for that damage? A: Not necessarily. If a vehicle behind pushed you forward, the assessment usually looks to that driver. The damage pattern on the front and rear of your vehicle is important evidence, so photograph both. Q: The other driver braked for no reason. Does that help me? A: It can, but it needs evidence. A dashcam, an independent witness or the pattern of the damage carries far more weight than two drivers disagreeing. ### Sources - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Lane change and merging accidents URL: https://crashguide.com.au/lane-change-accident Question: Who is at fault in a lane change accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer A driver changing lanes is generally expected to give way to vehicles already in the lane, so the changing driver often carries responsibility. Merging where lanes end works differently — the rules there turn on which lane is ending and relative position. Where the damage sits on each vehicle is usually the decisive evidence. ### Changing lanes versus merging These are treated differently and people routinely conflate them. Changing lanes means moving from one marked lane into another marked lane. Merging typically involves lanes coming together or a lane ending, and different give-way rules apply. Road rules on giving way when changing lanes and when merging are set by each state and territory. Check your state hub for the applicable rules where the accident happened. ### The damage tells the story Sideswipe damage is highly informative. Which panels are damaged, the direction the scrape runs, and how far forward or back the contact sits all indicate the relative positions when the vehicles met. - Photograph the full length of the damaged side of both vehicles. - Photograph each vehicle from front and rear to show the overall geometry. - Note which lane each vehicle ended up in. - Note whether either indicator was on, and for how long. - Record the lane markings — solid, broken, or a lane clearly ending. ### Common disputes - Both drivers say they were already in the lane. - Both say they indicated. - One says the other sped up to close the gap. - Both moved into the same middle lane at the same moment from either side. All of these turn on evidence rather than assertion. A dashcam settles most of them; failing that, an independent witness and the damage pattern. ### Questions and answers Q: I indicated. Does that make it their fault? A: Indicating signals an intention; it does not by itself create a right to move across. The give-way obligation generally remains with the driver changing lanes. Q: What if both cars moved into the same lane? A: Insurers can apportion responsibility between both drivers. Position, damage location and any footage decide how. ### Sources - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Roundabout accidents URL: https://crashguide.com.au/roundabout-accident Question: Who is at fault in a roundabout accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Drivers entering a roundabout are generally required to give way to vehicles already on it, so an entering driver often carries responsibility. Multi-lane roundabouts produce a second common dispute: a vehicle exiting across another lane. Note which entry each vehicle used, which lane each was in, and where the impact landed. ### Entering the roundabout The give-way rule on entry is the most common source of roundabout collisions. Australian road rules on roundabouts are set by each state and territory — check your state hub for the applicable rules. ### Multi-lane roundabouts The second common collision happens inside the roundabout, when a vehicle in the inner lane exits across a vehicle in the outer lane. Lane choice on entry, road markings and signage all matter, and they vary by roundabout. - Photograph the approach and its lane arrows and signage. - Photograph the roundabout markings themselves. - Note which entry each vehicle came from and which exit each was taking. - Note which lane each vehicle was in on entry and at impact. - Note indicators — including whether either driver indicated before exiting. ### Why roundabout disputes are messy Both drivers are moving, both are turning, and both have a genuinely partial view. Honest accounts frequently conflict. Photographs of the physical layout, taken from each approach, are unusually valuable here because they let an assessor reconstruct the geometry. ### Questions and answers Q: Do I have to indicate on a roundabout? A: Indicating requirements on roundabouts are set by road rules in each state and territory, and generally include signalling when exiting where practicable. Check the rules for the state where the accident happened. Q: The other driver was in the wrong lane. Does that decide it? A: It is relevant but not automatically decisive. Insurers weigh lane position with the give-way obligations, the markings and the point of impact. ### Sources - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car park accidents URL: https://crashguide.com.au/car-park-accident Question: What do I do after an accident in a car park? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Car park collisions are handled like any other: exchange details, photograph everything and notify your insurer. Fault often turns on who was reversing and who was travelling in the aisle. Ask the centre management to preserve CCTV the same day, because it is usually overwritten quickly. ### Reversing collisions A reversing driver is generally expected to ensure the movement can be made safely, which is why a driver reversing out of a bay often carries responsibility when they meet a vehicle in the aisle. Where two vehicles reverse out of opposite bays into each other, responsibility is frequently shared, because both were reversing and both had the same obligation. ### Get the CCTV request in today Important: Shopping centre and car park CCTV is routinely overwritten within days. Ask centre management on the day of the accident to preserve the footage, giving them the exact time, level and bay number. Put the request in writing if you can. ### Low speed does not mean low cost A five-kilometre-an-hour bump into a modern bumper can involve parking sensors, a reversing camera, radar modules and a repaint. Get a quote before deciding the damage is too minor to bother with. ### If the other driver has gone A car park hit and run is common. Photograph the damage, note the time and bay, check for a note on the windscreen, ask the centre for CCTV, and report it to police. See our hit and run guide for the full sequence. ### Questions and answers Q: Do road rules apply in a private car park? A: The application of road rules on private property varies, and it is a genuinely grey area. Insurers still assess fault on ordinary principles — who was reversing, who had the right of way in the aisle, and what the evidence shows. Q: The other driver left a note. Is that enough? A: It is a good start. Confirm the details are real by calling the number while you are still there if possible, photograph the note, and report it to your insurer with the CCTV request in train as a backup. ### Sources - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Someone hit your parked car URL: https://crashguide.com.au/parked-car-hit Question: Someone hit my parked car. What do I do? Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 ### Short answer Photograph the damage and the position of your car before moving it, and look immediately for witnesses and nearby cameras. If a note was left, verify the details straight away. If not, report it to police and to your insurer — cover for an unidentified driver depends on your policy, and an excess may apply. ### Before you move the car 1. Photograph the damage close up and from a distance. 2. Photograph where the car is parked, including signs and line markings. 3. Look for paint transfer or debris — colour is a real lead. 4. Check your own dashcam if it has a parking mode. 5. Look for cameras: shops, homes, other parked cars, the street itself. 6. Ask anyone nearby whether they saw or heard it. ### If a note was left Photograph the note before it blows away or the ink runs, then call the number immediately to confirm it is real and get the full details you would collect at any accident — name, address, licence, registration and insurer. ### If nobody left a note Report it to police and get an event number. Then contact your insurer. - Comprehensive: usually covers you, though an excess commonly applies and may not be refunded if the driver is never found. - Third party property: typically will not assist, because these provisions generally require an identified driver. Note: Weigh the excess against the repair quote before claiming, and check whether your policy requires you to notify the insurer regardless of whether you claim. ### Finding the driver Act in the first day or two. Ask nearby businesses to preserve footage, note the paint colour transferred onto your vehicle, and ask neighbours with doorbell cameras. Residential streets are often better covered than people expect. ### Questions and answers Q: Will my premium go up if I claim? A: It can, particularly where the other driver is never identified and there is no one to recover from. Ask your insurer how they treat this type of claim before you lodge it. Q: Can I claim if I only have third party property cover? A: Usually not for damage to your own vehicle. Uninsured motorist provisions generally require the other driver to be identified. Check your policy wording. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Car insurance — Moneysmart" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Council of Australia, "General Insurance Code of Practice" — https://insurancecouncil.com.au/cop/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Injured as a passenger in a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/injured-as-a-passenger Question: I was a passenger and I got hurt. What can I claim? Last reviewed: 2026-09-17 ### Short answer As a passenger you are effectively never at fault, so you have a compulsory third party claim no matter which driver caused the accident — including when it was the driver of the car you were in. The compensation comes from that driver’s CTP insurer, not from the driver personally, so claiming does not cost your friend or your family member anything. There are short deadlines in every state, so lodge early even if you are still deciding what you want to do. ### You are almost certainly covered Every registered vehicle in Australia carries compulsory third party insurance, and injuring passengers is precisely what it is for. Whatever happened between the drivers, you did not cause it — so the fault arguments that make a driver’s claim difficult mostly do not touch yours. That holds whether you were in the front or the back, in a friend’s car, a taxi, a rideshare, a bus, or a work vehicle. It holds if the driver of your car was the one who caused it. It holds if you are related to them, live with them, or are on the same policy. Note: The driver does not pay you. Their CTP insurer does — that is what the premium on the registration buys. An insurer can sometimes recover from a driver afterwards, but only for things the driver did: driving drunk, driving unlicensed, or insuring the car in the wrong class. An ordinary accident is not one of them. ### The reason most passengers never claim It is not that they were refused. It is that the driver was someone they care about, and making a claim felt like turning on them. This is the single biggest reason entitlements in this area go unused, and it rests on a misunderstanding worth clearing up plainly. - You are claiming against an insurance policy, not against a person. - The driver does not pay your compensation and is not asked to repay the insurer. - In most states their premium does not change, because CTP is priced on the vehicle and the state rather than on individual claims. New South Wales is the exception — insurers there may take claims history into account. - Not claiming protects the driver from nothing. It only costs you. Telling the driver you intend to claim is the decent thing to do, and it is better they hear it from you than from their insurer. Most people find the conversation is far smaller than they feared. ### What to do now 1. See a doctor and tell them it was a car accident. Everything that follows rests on that record existing. 2. Lodge a CTP claim in the state where the accident happened. The deadlines differ enormously — weeks in some states, months in others — and the shortest ones are not always where you would expect, so lodge now rather than work out which applies to you. 3. Write down the registration of every vehicle involved. You do not need to work out which one you are claiming against. 4. Keep receipts and keep a note of days off work, appointments, and help you needed at home. 5. Speak to a lawyer before you accept anything at all. Important: Do not wait to see whether it settles down. The deadlines run from the accident, not from the day you decided it was serious. ### If the driver was unregistered, or took off You can still claim. Every state and territory operates a nominal defendant or equivalent scheme that stands in for an unregistered, uninsured or unidentified vehicle, and injured passengers are exactly who it exists to protect. - Report it to police — for an unidentified vehicle this is usually a condition of the claim rather than just sensible. - Write down everything you remember about the other vehicle immediately. Colour, make, a partial plate, the direction it went. - Lodge quickly: these claims generally have shorter and stricter deadlines than ordinary CTP claims. - Get a lawyer. There are more procedural traps here than anywhere else, and getting one wrong ends a claim rather than delaying it. ### Things that reduce a claim but do not end it People talk themselves out of these far more often than an insurer refuses them. If you were not wearing a seatbelt, or you got into a car with a driver you knew had been drinking, your claim can be reduced for contributory negligence — and in some states the reduction is a fixed figure set by statute rather than an argument: South Australia fixes it at 25 per cent, rising to 50 per cent where the driver was heavily intoxicated, and Queensland and the Northern Territory have their own fixed minimums. A reduced claim is still a claim, and it is still worth far more than the nothing you get by not making it. Tell your lawyer about it at the first appointment rather than letting it surface later. A reduced claim is worth a great deal more than no claim at all. ### Questions and answers Q: Will my friend have to pay me out of their own pocket? A: No. The compensation comes from the compulsory third party insurer attached to the vehicle’s registration. In most states their premium does not change either, because CTP is priced on the vehicle rather than on individual claims — New South Wales is the exception, where claims history can be taken into account. Q: Can I claim if my husband, wife or parent was driving? A: Yes. Being related to the driver, living at the same address, or being on the same policy does not stop a passenger claim anywhere in Australia. Q: What if nobody knows whose fault it was? A: You can lodge against both insurers and let them resolve it between themselves. Working out fault is their job, and waiting for them to do it is how passengers run out of time. Q: I was in an Uber or a taxi. Is it different? A: You claim the same way. Commercial operators usually carry public liability cover in addition to CTP, so there may be more than one avenue — save a screenshot of the trip record, because it disappears from the app and it proves you were in that vehicle. Q: How long do I have? A: It varies by state far more than most people expect, and the useful answer is "sooner than you think". New South Wales counts in weeks, the ACT in months, and Queensland has a rule that can bring the deadline forward to one month from the day you first speak to a lawyer. Lodging early costs nothing and preserves everything, which is why it is the one instruction that works in every state. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## My child was injured in a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/child-injured-in-a-car-accident Question: My child was hurt in a car accident. What do I do? Last reviewed: 2026-09-17 ### Short answer You claim on your child’s behalf, and two different clocks are running. How they work for a child depends heavily on the state, and the common advice — that everything waits until they turn eighteen — is wrong in several of them, including New South Wales. Notify the scheme now rather than working out which rule applies to you: notifying early is never the thing that costs a child a claim. Get them medically assessed even if they seem fine, and do not settle quickly, because a child’s injuries can take years to show their full extent and a settlement is final. ### The two deadlines, and why people get this wrong Parents are often told that a child has until they turn eighteen, and then some years beyond that, to bring a claim. It is repeated everywhere and it is not reliably true. Both clocks — the one for notifying the scheme and the one for starting court proceedings — are treated differently in different states, and they do not move together. Important: New South Wales is the one to know about. The Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 expressly switches off the Limitation Act for these claims, so there is no extension to eighteen for court proceedings there at all — the rule most parents have been told is the opposite of the rule that applies to them. Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory do extend the scheme deadline for a child — Queensland suspends it during minority altogether, and Victoria and the Territory run it to twenty-one. Tasmania does not. The point is not to memorise which is which: it is that the answer depends on where the accident happened, and the harm is specific. A late notification can reduce what a child receives, or end the claim entirely, years before they are old enough to do anything about it — and the parent who waited was usually trying to be careful. ### Get them looked at, even if they seem fine Children under-report pain, and they are poor at describing what is wrong. A child who says they are fine on the day may be sleeping badly a fortnight later, refusing to get in the car, or quietly not using an arm the way they used to. - See a doctor and make sure the notes say it was a car accident. - Keep a written record of how they are going — sleep, school, mood, anything they will not do any more. - Tell the school, so a change in behaviour or schoolwork is noticed and documented by someone other than you. - Mention any head impact or seatbelt bruising specifically, and any loss of consciousness however brief. The effect of a crash on a child shows up in behaviour long before it shows up in a scan, and a record kept at the time is worth far more later than a recollection. ### If it happened on a school bus or an excursion There may be several insurers rather than one, and which matters depends on who was driving what. The CTP insurer of the vehicle is the starting point. Beyond it there may be a contracted bus operator, the school, or an education department — and where a school may also be responsible, there can be a claim that runs on different rules from the CTP one. 1. Ask the school for a written incident report today. They complete one as a matter of course, and it becomes much harder to obtain once weeks have passed. 2. Find out exactly who was driving and whose vehicle it was — a contracted bus company, a school bus, a teacher’s own car, or a parent volunteer. Each points at a different insurer. 3. Get the names of other children and adults who were on the vehicle. Witnesses are much harder to find after a term ends. 4. Lodge the CTP claim without waiting for the school to come back to you. 5. Speak to a lawyer, and tell them a school or an operator may also be involved. Important: A school’s own investigation is not a claim and does not pause any deadline. Parents routinely wait for the school, and the scheme deadline passes during the wait. ### How a claim for a child works - A parent or guardian brings it on the child’s behalf, usually as their litigation guardian. - Most settlements for a child need court or scheme approval before any money can be released. That is a protection, not an obstacle. - The money is generally held in trust or by the court until the child is an adult. - Legal costs in these matters are regulated in several states. Ask what they would be, in dollars, at the first appointment. Do not settle quickly. A growing child’s injuries can change shape for years — a bone that heals unevenly, a fear of cars that does not fade, schooling that slips — and a settlement is final. There is no reopening it at nineteen. ### Do we need a lawyer? For anything beyond a couple of physiotherapy visits, yes. Claims involving children are handled differently at every stage, and the approval process at the end is not something to navigate for the first time on your own. - A free first appointment is the norm in this area, and no-win-no-fee is common. Ask about both before engaging anyone. - The insurer arranges and pays for treatment while the claim runs — you do not wait until the end to get your child seen. - Ask two questions and expect plain answers: what is this worth, and what will you charge. A firm that will not answer the second is the wrong firm. ### Questions and answers Q: Do I really have to lodge now if they have until they are eighteen? A: Yes. The extended limitation period applies to starting court proceedings. The scheme’s notification deadline is separate, short, and generally not extended for a child — missing it can reduce or end the claim regardless of the longer limit. Q: My child seems completely fine. Should I still see a doctor? A: Yes, and it is worth doing in the first day or two. Children under-report pain and describe it badly, and a contemporaneous medical record is the thing a later claim rests on. Q: Who do we claim against if it was a school bus? A: Start with the CTP insurer of the vehicle. Depending on who was driving and who operated it, a bus company, the school or an education department may also be involved — which is a reason to get advice rather than accept the first answer you are given. Q: Who gets the money? A: The child. It is generally held in trust or by the court until they turn eighteen, and most settlements for a minor require approval before funds are released. Q: Can I claim for my own time off work looking after them? A: Often, yes. Care provided by a parent is recognised in most schemes, and it is routinely left out of claims because nobody thought to mention it. Keep a note of the hours. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## TPD and income protection in your super after a car accident URL: https://crashguide.com.au/tpd-and-income-protection-in-super Question: Can I claim on the insurance in my super after a car accident? Last reviewed: 2026-09-22 ### Short answer Most working Australians have insurance inside their super fund that they were never told about: total and permanent disablement cover, and often income protection as well. If a car accident has left you unable to work, you may be able to claim on it. It is separate from any CTP or workers compensation claim, and unlike those schemes it does not depend on whose fault the accident was — it is assessed on whether you can work, not on who caused the crash. Many people hold cover in more than one fund and can claim on each. ### The one thing to know first Every motor accident scheme in Australia reduces or refuses compensation for a driver who was at fault. If you caused the accident, or were partly responsible, your CTP claim is smaller or does not exist. The insurance inside your super does not work that way. It is an insurance policy, not a compensation scheme. The question it asks is whether your injury has left you unable to work, not who was to blame. A driver who ran a red light and a driver who was sitting at one are assessed on the same terms. Note: This one does not care whose fault it was. If you have been told you have no claim because the accident was your fault, that answer was about CTP. It says nothing about the cover in your super. Policies do have exclusions, and the insurer will look at the circumstances. But ordinary carelessness on the road is not what those exclusions are aimed at. ### What is actually in your super When you join a super fund through an employer, most funds automatically attach insurance to the account and take the premium from your balance. It appears as a line on an annual statement most people do not read. Two kinds matter here. - Total and permanent disablement, or TPD: a lump sum if illness or injury leaves you permanently unable to work. - Income protection: a monthly payment for a set period while you cannot work. Not every fund includes this by default. ### What "total and permanent disablement" means in practice The phrase sounds absolute, and it puts people off. It does not mean you must be unable to do anything at all. Each policy has a written definition, and that definition is what you are assessed against. Most turn on your capacity to work, and two versions matter. - Own occupation: you are unlikely ever to return to the job you were doing before the injury, even if you could do some other kind of work. - Any occupation: you are unlikely ever to work again in any job you are reasonably suited to by education, training or experience. A harder test, because the insurer can point to work you could in theory retrain for. Cover held inside super is usually the any-occupation kind, partly because of the rules on when money can be released from super. Find out which applies to you before assuming anything. Most definitions also require you to have been off work for a set period before you can be assessed, and your fund’s policy sets it. ### Finding out what cover you have 1. Your most recent super statement, or the fund’s app or website. Look for a section called insurance, cover or benefits. 2. myGov, linked to the Australian Taxation Office. This lists every super account in your name, including ones you had forgotten, though not the insurance on each. 3. Call each fund and ask: what insurance was on my account on the date of the accident, what is the definition of disablement, and can you send me the policy document. Important: Ask about cover as at the date of the accident, not today. Funds can switch off insurance automatically when an account has not received contributions for a while, or when the balance is low. Cover that was in force on the day you were hurt can often still be claimed on even if the fund has since cancelled it. ### Why you may have more than one policy Every time you started a job with an employer who used a different fund, a new account was often opened for you, with its own default policy. Someone who has had four employers can easily have two or three accounts still open. TPD is a lump sum, and you can generally claim under each policy that was active on the date of the accident. Income protection is different: policies usually reduce their payment for other income replacement you receive, so multiple income protection policies rarely stack. ### Income protection: the faster-paying part If your super includes income protection, it is usually the more immediate help. It pays a portion of your pre-accident income, monthly, while you cannot work. Two terms in the policy govern it: the waiting period, which is how long you must be off work before payments start, and the benefit period, which is how long they continue. Both vary widely between funds. Policies also commonly reduce the monthly benefit by amounts you receive for the same period from a workers compensation or motor accident scheme. That offset clause is one of the first things a lawyer reads. ### How it fits with CTP and workers compensation These are separate systems and they can run at the same time. A person hurt while driving for work might have a workers compensation claim, a CTP claim and a claim on the insurance in their super, all from the same accident. They interact rather than replace one another: a TPD lump sum is generally not reduced because you also have a CTP claim, but income protection often is offset against weekly scheme payments. ### What the claim looks like, and how long it takes 1. You tell the fund you want to claim, and they send a claim pack. 2. You complete your part, your treating doctors complete theirs, and your employer usually confirms your role and last day at work. 3. The fund’s insurer assesses the claim, and may ask for more records or its own medical examination. 4. The insurer decides, and the fund’s trustee reviews the decision. 5. An accepted TPD benefit is paid into your super account, and you then apply to have it released. Tax can apply to money released early. Note: Expect months, not weeks. A straightforward TPD claim commonly takes many months to assess. Income protection generally starts paying sooner once the waiting period has passed. Neither is quick, which is a reason to start early rather than a reason not to. If a claim is declined, you can ask the fund to review the decision, and after that take a complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, which is free. ### When to get advice You do not need a lawyer to ask your fund what cover you have. Make that call yourself, this week. Speak to a lawyer who works in superannuation and insurance claims before you lodge if your injuries make a return to your previous work doubtful, if you have found cover in more than one fund, if a CTP or workers compensation claim is also running, or if the fund says cover was cancelled or a claim has been declined. Superannuation claims are a distinct area of practice. The lawyer running your CTP claim may not do them, and a firm that does may not do CTP. Ask each what they cover, and ask about fees before engaging anyone. Note: Crash Guide does not assess whether you meet a policy definition, and cannot tell you what your fund will pay. Your fund’s policy document governs your claim. ### Questions and answers Q: The accident was my fault. Do I really still have cover? A: Fault is not the test. TPD and income protection pay when you meet the policy’s definition of disablement, whichever driver caused the accident. Every policy has some exclusions, so have someone read yours, but being at fault under a motor accident scheme is a different question from being excluded under a policy. Q: I was not working at the time. Can I still claim? A: Possibly. What matters is whether cover was in force on the date of the accident, and which definition your policy applies to someone who was not employed then. Some use a stricter everyday-activities test. Ask the fund directly and get the policy document. Q: Will claiming on my super affect my CTP claim? A: They are separate claims and one does not cancel the other. Some payments interact, particularly income protection against weekly scheme benefits. That is a reason to get advice from someone who can see both, not a reason to hold off. Q: My fund says the insurance was cancelled. Is that the end of it? A: Not necessarily. What matters is whether cover was active on the date you were injured. A later cancellation does not usually remove a claim for an injury that happened while cover was in force. This is worth a lawyer’s time. ### Sources - ASIC Moneysmart, "Insurance through super" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/how-life-insurance-works/insurance-through-super (checked 2026-09-22) - ASIC Moneysmart, "Total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/how-life-insurance-works/total-and-permanent-disability-tpd-insurance (checked 2026-09-22) - ASIC Moneysmart, "Income protection insurance" — https://moneysmart.gov.au/how-life-insurance-works/income-protection-insurance (checked 2026-09-22) --- ## Injured in a car accident while working URL: https://crashguide.com.au/injured-in-a-car-accident-at-work Question: I was injured in a car accident while working. What can I claim? Last reviewed: 2026-09-22 ### Short answer Lodge the workers compensation claim first. It does not depend on who caused the accident and it is usually the faster of the two. Whether you also have a motor accident claim, and what kind, depends heavily on which state you work in: in most of the country the scheme’s no-fault benefits are switched off while workers compensation is payable, and what survives is a damages claim against whoever caused the crash. In the Northern Territory there is no damages claim at all. Get advice before settling anything, because the workers compensation insurer takes what it paid out of any damages. ### This is bigger than most people realise Vehicle incidents are the largest single cause of work-related death in Australia — around 42 per cent of worker fatalities, roughly three times the next most common cause. They also produce about 6,700 serious workers compensation claims a year, and those claims run longer and cost more than the average: a median of eight working weeks lost. Despite that, a crash on the job is routinely treated as just a car accident. The driver rings their insurer, sorts the car out, and never mentions it to their employer. That is the mistake this page exists to prevent, because the workers compensation claim is often the more valuable of the two and it is the one with the shorter deadline. ### The first thing to do, and it is the same everywhere Tell your employer, and lodge the workers compensation claim. It does not matter whose fault the accident was — workers compensation covers you for being injured at work regardless of who caused it, which is exactly why it is usually the faster of the two and why it should not wait on anybody working out liability. See a doctor and say plainly that it happened at work. The medical certificate is what both systems run on, and a certificate that does not mention work is the single most common reason a claim gets tangled up months later. Important: Workers compensation claim deadlines are shorter than motor accident ones in several states, and they usually run from when your entitlement arises rather than from the crash. Lodging early has never been the thing that cost somebody a claim. ### Which state’s law applies is not where you crashed This is the part that catches people, and it is the opposite of the rule for motor accident claims. Which CTP scheme covers a crash is decided by where the crash happened. Which workers compensation scheme covers you is decided by the state your employment is connected with — broadly, where you usually work. So a Victorian worker who crashes on a New South Wales road is judged by Victorian law, and a New South Wales worker who crashes in Melbourne keeps the New South Wales position. If you drive across a border for work, the two claims arising from the same crash can be governed by two different states. Note: A short-term arrangement — commonly six months or less — is generally disregarded when working out which state you are connected with. Being sent interstate for a job does not usually move you into that state’s scheme. ### “You have three claims” is wrong in most of the country The advice you will find most often is that a work crash gives you workers compensation, a CTP claim and a claim against your employer, all running together. It is a tidy sentence and it is not how most of the schemes are built. The no-fault benefits that a motor accident scheme pays — treatment, income support — are generally switched off while workers compensation is payable. That is the position in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania; in the Australian Capital Territory the entitlement ends when a workers compensation claim is accepted; and in the Northern Territory motor accident benefits are excluded outright where the injury is compensable under workers compensation. What usually does survive is different and more valuable: a claim for damages against whoever negligently caused the crash. That is a separate claim, with its own deadline, and it is the one people most often miss because they assume the workers compensation claim is the whole story. Important: The Northern Territory is not a variation on this — it is a different answer. Territory law abolishes damages claims for motor accidents entirely, and excludes motor accident benefits where workers compensation applies. A Territorian injured driving for work has the workers compensation claim and nothing else. Anyone telling you to lodge a CTP claim as well is describing another state. ### Why money comes out of your settlement, and why that is normal If you receive workers compensation and later recover damages, the compensation insurer is generally entitled to be repaid out of those damages. People discover this at settlement and assume something has gone wrong. Nothing has: it exists so that you are not paid twice for the same loss, and it is built into every scheme in the country. It matters because it changes what a settlement figure actually means to you. A number that looks reasonable before the repayment can look very different afterwards, and the time to understand that is before you agree to it, not after. Important: In Queensland this is not merely unwise to get wrong — you cannot lawfully settle a damages claim for less than the insurer’s charge without its written consent. Settling without it can leave you personally exposed. ### When your employer is the one who was negligent Sometimes the crash is not really about the driving. An unrealistic schedule, a vehicle that was not maintained, a roster that had somebody driving tired, inadequate training for the vehicle — these are the employer’s responsibility, and where they caused the accident there may be a claim against the employer beyond the ordinary workers compensation entitlement. Every state sets a threshold for that claim and the thresholds differ a great deal, including between physical and psychological injury. This is firmly in get-advice territory: the thresholds change, several states are mid-reform, and whether you meet one is a medical question rather than something you can read off a page. For trucks and heavy vehicles there is a further point worth knowing. Responsibility under the heavy vehicle laws does not stop at the driver — it reaches the operator, the scheduler, the consignor and the loader. A driver given a schedule that could only be met by speeding or by driving over their hours is not the only person who has to answer for what followed. ### The insurance in your super, which is a third route Separately from both of the above, most working Australians hold total and permanent disablement cover inside their superannuation, and often income protection as well. It does not depend on fault and it does not depend on the workers compensation scheme. If the injury has stopped you working, it is worth checking every super account you have ever held. One interaction to be aware of: income protection policies commonly reduce their payments by amounts you receive for the same period from a workers compensation scheme, so the two rarely stack while weekly payments are running. That changes when weekly payments step down or stop. ### When to get advice Early, and earlier than most people do. The specific triggers: if you were driving for work and someone else caused the crash; if you have been off work more than a few weeks; if your employer’s systems, scheduling or vehicle maintenance had anything to do with it; if you have been offered a settlement of any kind; or if you work in one state and crashed in another. In several states the worker’s legal costs in a workers compensation matter are paid by the scheme rather than by the worker, and in some the amount a lawyer may charge is capped by statute. Ask about costs at the first conversation — a firm that does this work will have a clear answer. Note: Crash Guide is not a law firm and does not assess claims. What is on this page is general information about how the schemes are built. Your own entitlement depends on the state your employment is connected with and on medical evidence about your injury. ### Questions and answers Q: I am a contractor, not an employee. Does that end it? A: Not necessarily. Every scheme has provisions that deem certain contractors to be workers, and they catch more people than most contractors expect — particularly where you work mainly for one business. Whether you are covered is a question about the substance of the arrangement, not about what the contract calls you. Ask rather than assume. Q: Do I have to prove somebody was at fault? A: Not for the workers compensation claim. That is the point of it — it covers you for being injured at work regardless of who caused the accident. Fault matters for the damages claim against whoever caused the crash, and for a claim against your employer, but not for the entitlement that starts paying your treatment and wages. Q: Will claiming cause trouble with my employer? A: Employers are insured for exactly this, and the claim is paid by the insurer rather than by the business. It is also unlawful everywhere in Australia to dismiss or disadvantage somebody for making a workers compensation claim. If you are worried about how it is being handled, that is itself a reason to speak to someone. Q: The accident was my fault. Is there any point? A: Yes. Workers compensation does not depend on whose fault the crash was, so being the one who caused it does not end your entitlement to treatment and weekly payments. What being at fault affects is the damages claim against another driver, which is a separate question. The cover inside your superannuation also does not depend on fault. Q: How long do I have? A: Less time than you think, and the answer differs by state. Workers compensation claim periods are commonly measured in months and often run from when your entitlement arises rather than from the crash. Motor accident deadlines run separately and some are shorter still — Queensland has a rule that can bring a deadline forward to one month from the day you first speak to a lawyer. Lodging early is the only instruction that works everywhere. ### Sources - Safe Work Australia, "Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia" — https://data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/insights/key-whs-statistics-australia/latest-release (checked 2026-09-22) - State Insurance Regulatory Authority (NSW), "Work break and journey claims" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/workers-compensation/what-you-can-claim/work-break-and-journey-claims (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Victoria, "WorkSafe Victoria claims" — https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/workers-compensation-and-return-work (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Queensland, "Workers compensation in Queensland" — https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/claims-and-insurance (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkCover WA, "Workers compensation in Western Australia" — https://www.workcover.wa.gov.au/workers/ (checked 2026-09-22) - ReturnToWorkSA, "Making a claim" — https://www.rtwsa.com/claims (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Tasmania, "Who can claim workers compensation" — https://worksafe.tas.gov.au/topics/compensation/workers-compensation/information-for-workers (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe ACT, "Making a workers compensation claim" — https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/workers-compensation/making-a-claim (checked 2026-09-22) - Comcare, "Comcare scheme guidance" — https://www.comcare.gov.au/claims (checked 2026-09-22) --- ## Injured driving to or from work URL: https://crashguide.com.au/injured-driving-to-or-from-work Question: I was hurt driving to or from work. Can I claim workers compensation? Last reviewed: 2026-09-22 ### Short answer It depends on the state your employment is connected with, and the answer genuinely differs. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory cover the ordinary commute. Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth scheme do not. Being on duty is different again and is covered everywhere. Even where the commute is not covered, you may still have a motor accident claim — so a “no” to workers compensation is not a “no” to everything. ### Both of the things people believe about this are wrong One story is that journey claims were abolished in Australia. The other is that of course you are covered, because you were on your way to work. Neither is right, and which one you have heard mostly depends on which state the person telling you lives in. The ordinary commute is compensable in four jurisdictions and is not in the other four, plus the Commonwealth scheme. That is not a technicality at the edges — it is the whole answer, and it is why a national rule of thumb is worse than useless here. Note: Covered: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory. Not covered: Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and the Commonwealth scheme. Queensland is the most generous of the four; New South Wales and South Australia attach a connection test. ### It is the state you work in, not the state you crashed in Before anything else, work out which scheme you are in — and it is not decided by the road you were on. Workers compensation follows the state your employment is connected with, which is broadly where you usually work. A Victorian worker who crashes while commuting in New South Wales does not get the New South Wales answer. A New South Wales worker who crashes in Melbourne keeps theirs. For anybody who lives near a border, this is the first question and it changes everything that follows. ### Commuting is not the same as being on duty The distinction the law actually turns on is between travelling to work and travelling as part of work. Driving between two job sites, out to a client, on a delivery, or anywhere else as part of the job is in the course of employment everywhere in Australia. No special provision is needed and no state has abolished it. The ordinary commute is different. It sits in the gap between two periods of work rather than inside one, which is why it only counts where a statute says so — and why four parliaments have decided it should not. That boundary matters more than it used to. If you worked from home in the morning and then drove to the office, you may have been travelling between two places of work rather than commuting, which is a different and better question. Under the Commonwealth scheme it turns on whether you actually did work at home before setting out — a question with a documentary answer in your login times and sent emails. ### The carve-outs that survived, which almost nobody cites Abolishing the commute did not always mean abolishing everything around it. Several states that removed ordinary journey cover kept it for travel between two workplaces, for travel to treatment for an existing work injury, or for travel to training the employer required. And there is a trap inside that. Some states cover attendance at those places but not the journey there, which is the opposite answer on the same facts. Driving to a physiotherapy appointment for an accepted work injury is covered in some states and not in others, and the difference is not intuitive. Note: There are occupational exceptions worth knowing about. In New South Wales, police officers, paramedics, firefighters and coal miners are exempt from the 2012 reforms entirely, so the connection test does not apply to them. In the Northern Territory, police keep journey cover including for motor accidents when everybody else lost it. ### A deviation or a detour can end it Where the commute is covered, stopping off on the way can take you outside cover — but the rules differ in shape. Some states ask whether the interruption was for a reason unconnected with work. Others ask the more forgiving question of whether the detour materially increased the risk of injury. A couple require the journey to be by a reasonably direct route. The practical point is simply that it is a live question rather than a formality, and it is worth being accurate about what you did and when. Do not guess at times or routes on a claim form. ### If the commute is not covered where you work This is the important half, and it is the half that gets left out. A “no” on workers compensation is not a “no” on everything. You were still in a motor accident, and the motor accident scheme in the state where the crash happened is still there. In Victoria the commuting claim goes to the Transport Accident Commission, and WorkSafe’s own guidance directs it there. In Tasmania the no-fault motor accident benefits remain available precisely because workers compensation is not payable — the two provisions interlock exactly. Elsewhere it depends on the scheme and on whether anybody was at fault. Important: Do not let a workers compensation refusal stop you lodging the motor accident claim. They are separate systems with separate deadlines, and the time spent arguing about the first one can quietly consume the window for the second. ### What to do now 1. Tell your employer it happened, even if you think the commute is not covered where you work. Reporting costs nothing and an unreported injury is much harder to claim on later. 2. See a doctor and say where you were going and why. 3. Work out which state your employment is connected with — usually where you normally work, not where the crash was. 4. Lodge the motor accident claim in the state where the crash happened, separately, and do not wait on the workers compensation answer. 5. Get advice if you were doing anything other than a plain trip between home and work: a detour for the employer, a call-out, a second job, or a journey after working from home. ### Questions and answers Q: I was called in outside my normal hours. Is that still a commute? A: Possibly not, and that is a good thing for you. Several states treat a journey made at the employer’s request or direction differently from an ordinary commute, and in a couple of them it is the only route into cover. If you were called out, say so explicitly — it is the sort of detail that changes the answer and that nobody thinks to mention. Q: I work from home. Does driving to the office count? A: It may be travel between two places of work rather than a commute, which is a different and more favourable question. Under the Commonwealth scheme it turns on whether you actually did work at home before you left. Victoria appears to take a stricter view and there is no clear authority resolving it, so this is one to get advice on rather than assume either way. Q: I was driving between two jobs for two employers. Is that covered? A: It varies, and not in the direction you would expect from the general pattern. Queensland covers travel between workplaces expressly. Tasmania expressly excludes travel between two employers’ workplaces. The Commonwealth deeming provision for it was repealed and not replaced. Do not reason from one state to another on this one. Q: My state does not cover the commute. Is that it? A: No — and this is the most important thing on the page. You were in a motor accident, and the motor accident scheme where the crash happened is unaffected by the workers compensation answer. In Victoria the claim goes to the TAC; in Tasmania the no-fault benefits are available precisely because workers compensation is not. Lodge it. Q: Does it matter that I was speeding, or on my phone? A: Less than you might fear, though it differs by state. The exclusions in most schemes are aimed at drink and drug driving and at serious and wilful misconduct rather than at ordinary carelessness — Queensland’s exclusion, for instance, is confined to drink or drug driving and dangerous operation, and even then only where it was the major significant factor. Be honest about what happened and get advice; do not disqualify yourself. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority (NSW), "Work break and journey claims" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/workers-compensation/what-you-can-claim/work-break-and-journey-claims (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Victoria, "WorkSafe Victoria claims" — https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/workers-compensation-and-return-work (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Queensland, "Workers compensation in Queensland" — https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/claims-and-insurance (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkCover WA, "Workers compensation in Western Australia" — https://www.workcover.wa.gov.au/workers/ (checked 2026-09-22) - ReturnToWorkSA, "Making a claim" — https://www.rtwsa.com/claims (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe Tasmania, "Who can claim workers compensation" — https://worksafe.tas.gov.au/topics/compensation/workers-compensation/information-for-workers (checked 2026-09-22) - WorkSafe ACT, "Making a workers compensation claim" — https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/workers-compensation/making-a-claim (checked 2026-09-22) - Comcare, "Comcare scheme guidance" — https://www.comcare.gov.au/claims (checked 2026-09-22) --- ## Motorcycle accident claims URL: https://crashguide.com.au/motorcycle-accident-claim Question: I came off my motorbike. What can I claim? Last reviewed: 2026-09-22 ### Short answer A motorcycle claim runs like any other motor accident claim, but three things are different and all three cost riders money. Your riding gear is property damaged in the accident and is recoverable — a helmet that has taken an impact must be replaced, and almost nobody claims for it. The road surface is a far more common cause for a rider than for a driver, which can point at the road authority rather than at you. And riders are hurt more seriously than drivers in the same impact, so get checked even if you feel fine. ### Claim for your gear. Almost nobody does Your helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, armour and any electronics in them are property that was damaged in the accident. They are recoverable in the same way the bike is, and the overwhelming majority of riders never mention them. The helmet matters most. A helmet that has taken an impact must be replaced even where it looks undamaged — the protective liner crushes once, by design, and cannot do it again. Nobody expects you to keep riding in it, and nobody should expect you to pay for the replacement yourself. - Photograph everything before you throw any of it out, including the inside of the helmet. - Keep the damaged gear if you can. An insurer that wants to dispute the claim will ask for it. - Find receipts if you have them, or note the make and model. Good riding gear is expensive and a list of brands is more persuasive than a round number. ### Photograph the road surface before you leave Gravel, spilled diesel, a pothole, a raised service cover or a badly repaired patch will unsettle a bike in a way it never would a car. For a rider this is a far more common cause than it is for a driver, and it is the evidence that disappears first — the next rain, the next sweeper, or the council patching it the following week. Take wide shots showing where the hazard sits relative to the road and to where you came off, and close shots of the surface itself. If the cause was the road rather than a driver, that can point at the road authority, and that is a different kind of claim with its own notice requirements. Note: A single-vehicle accident is not automatically nobody’s fault. If a hazard on the road put you down, somebody may be responsible for that hazard. ### Get checked, even though you feel fine Riders come off adrenaline sharply and late. It is entirely normal to feel unhurt at the roadside, ride or get a lift home, and discover the following morning that a shoulder, wrist or back is not working. By then the connection between the accident and the injury has to be argued rather than assumed. Be seen the same day if you possibly can, and make sure the record says it was a motorcycle accident and gives the date. That one line does more work in a claim than almost anything else you can do on the day. ### “I didn’t see the bike” is a pattern, not an excuse A driver turning across your path and saying they did not see you is the most recognised collision pattern in motorcycling. It is well documented, and it is not a defence — a driver is required to look for what is there, and failing to notice a motorcycle is a failure to keep a proper lookout rather than an explanation. If that is what happened, say so plainly and in those words when you report it and when you claim. Do not soften it into "they didn’t see me, so it was just one of those things". ### Have the bike looked at by somebody who knows bikes Frame and fork damage is not reliably visible. A bike that has been down can look straight, start, and ride, and still be out of alignment in a way that shows up as a weave at speed. A general smash repairer is not the right person to make that call. You are generally entitled to choose your own repairer. An insurer suggesting one is a suggestion, not an instruction. ### Helmets and what happens if you were not wearing one Be straightforward about this rather than hopeful. In several states a finding of contributory negligence is mandatory where a rider was not wearing a helmet as required by law, and in the Northern Territory the reduction is a fixed 25 per cent. It is not a bar and it does not end the claim. A reduced claim is still a claim, and it is worth a great deal more than the nothing you get by deciding for yourself that it is not worth making. That decision belongs to a lawyer who has seen the file, not to you at the roadside. Important: One asymmetry worth knowing: in New South Wales the mandatory contributory negligence finding for seatbelts and for riding with an impaired driver expressly does not apply to a minor, but the helmet limb carries no such exemption. ### Pillion passengers A pillion passenger is covered exactly like any other passenger. CTP covers injury to any person caused by the rider’s negligence, and there is no passenger exclusion — being on the back of the bike rather than in a car changes nothing about the entitlement. That holds even where the rider was a friend or a partner, and even where the rider was the one at fault. The claim is against the insurance attached to the registration, not against the person. ### Questions and answers Q: I came off on my own. Is there anything to claim? A: Possibly, and it is worth asking rather than assuming. If a hazard on the road put you down, the road authority may be responsible. If the cause was a mechanical failure, that may point somewhere else again. And in the states with no-fault motor accident schemes, treatment and income support may be available whether or not anyone was at fault. The answer differs by state, so ask. Q: Does having taken a rider training course help or hurt? A: It does not hurt. Training is evidence that you ride competently, not evidence that you should have avoided what happened. Some insurers also discount for it. Do not hide it. Q: The bike is written off. Am I stuck with what they offer? A: No. A total loss valuation is an opinion and it is negotiable, and bike valuations are more often wrong than car valuations because condition, modifications and aftermarket parts move the number a great deal. Gather comparable listings for the same model, year and condition, and include what you have spent on it. Q: Do I have to report it to police? A: The reporting rules depend on your state and usually turn on injury, on whether details were exchanged, and on whether the vehicle had to be towed. For an injury claim a police report is very useful evidence regardless of whether it was strictly required, and if the driver who hit you left the scene it is generally essential. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Insurance Commission of Western Australia, "Motor injury insurance in Western Australia" — https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Northern Territory Government, "Motor Accidents Compensation Scheme" — https://nt.gov.au/law/processes/motor-accidents-compensation-scheme (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Hit by a car while walking or cycling URL: https://crashguide.com.au/hit-by-a-car-while-walking-or-cycling Question: I was hit by a car while walking or cycling. Can I claim? Last reviewed: 2026-09-22 ### Short answer Yes. Compulsory third party insurance covers people injured by a motor vehicle whether or not they were inside one, so a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a car claims against that vehicle’s CTP insurer. You do not need to own a car, hold a licence, or have any insurance of your own — the cover comes from the registration of the vehicle that hit you. Get the registration number if you possibly can; if the vehicle was never identified, your state’s nominal defendant scheme stands in its place. ### You do not need insurance of your own This is the misconception that stops more of these claims than anything else. People assume that because they do not own a car, do not hold a policy and may not even hold a licence, there is nothing to claim against. It is the wrong way round. Compulsory third party insurance attaches to the vehicle’s registration and covers injury to any person caused by that vehicle. A pedestrian, a cyclist, a child, somebody on a mobility scooter — all of them are “any person”. The driver’s cover is what you claim on. Note: The registration number is the claim. From it, the insurer can be identified. If you take one thing away from this page, it is to get the plate — or to have somebody else get it for you. ### If the driver did not stop, you are still covered Every state and territory runs a nominal defendant scheme, or an equivalent, that stands in the place of an unidentified or uninsured vehicle. A hit and run does not leave you with nothing. These claims come with an extra requirement: you generally have to show that proper inquiry and search was made to identify the vehicle. That is what a police report, canvassing for CCTV, and asking witnesses on the day are for. Some states also apply shorter deadlines to these claims than to ordinary ones, and in at least one the outer limit cannot be extended at all. Important: If the vehicle was not identified, treat the deadline as urgent rather than ordinary, and get advice quickly. This is the one situation where waiting can cost the claim outright. ### Report it to police For a driver this is sometimes optional. For a pedestrian or cyclist it is usually the difference between a straightforward claim and a difficult one. You have no vehicle damage, often no independent record that the collision happened at all, and frequently no exchange of details because you were on the ground. The police report is the objective record that it occurred, when, and where. Get the event or report number and keep it. ### Claim for what was damaged, not just for the injury A cyclist knocked off a bike usually loses a great deal more than most people put on a claim form. All of it is property damaged in the accident. - The bicycle itself, including wheels, frame and groupset — carbon damage is frequently invisible and a frame that has been hit should be assessed rather than eyeballed. - Helmet, which must be replaced after any impact. - Clothing, shoes, eyewear and gloves. - Phone, watch, computer, lights and camera. - The cost of getting home, and of getting to appointments afterwards. Photograph all of it before anything is thrown away or repaired, and keep the damaged items if you can. ### Get checked, and say it was a motor vehicle Be seen the same day if you can. Pedestrians and cyclists absorb the impact with their bodies rather than through a car’s structure, and injuries that seem minor at the roadside routinely turn out not to be. Make sure the medical record says the injury was caused by a motor vehicle accident and gives the date. Schemes run on that record, and a note that says only "fall from bicycle" creates work for you later that a single accurate sentence would have avoided. ### These claims are worth more than people expect Pedestrian and cyclist injuries are, on average, more serious than the injuries of people inside vehicles, and the claims reflect that. People routinely settle early and low because they did not think they had a claim at all, and anything offered feels like a windfall. Get advice before agreeing to anything, particularly if you have been off work, if you are still receiving treatment, or if anybody has put a figure in front of you in the first few weeks. Note: If you were partly responsible — crossing away from a crossing, riding without lights at night, stepping out between parked cars — your claim can be reduced, but it is not usually a bar. Do not write yourself off. That assessment belongs to somebody who has seen the whole file. ### Children A child hit while walking or cycling is claimed for by a parent or guardian on their behalf. Two things are worth knowing. The deadlines for children work differently from those for adults, and they work differently again in each state — the common belief that everything simply waits until they turn eighteen is not reliable, and in New South Wales it is close to the opposite of the rule. And the mandatory contributory negligence findings that apply to adults in some states expressly do not apply to minors. Notify now and take advice on the timing rather than working from what you have been told. ### Questions and answers Q: I do not own a car and have no insurance at all. Does that matter? A: No. It is the single most common reason people do not claim, and it is wrong. The cover you are claiming on belongs to the vehicle that hit you, not to you. You do not need to own a car, hold a policy or hold a licence. Q: I was on an e-bike or an e-scooter. Am I covered? A: If you were hit by a motor vehicle, the ordinary position is that you claim against that vehicle’s CTP cover the same way any other person injured by it would. Where it gets complicated is whether your own device counts as a motor vehicle for scheme purposes, which differs between states and turns on things like motor power and speed. If you were on anything more powerful than an ordinary pedal bike, get advice rather than assuming either way. Q: The driver stopped and apologised, and we swapped numbers. Is that enough? A: Get the registration number, not just their name and phone number. Names change, phones stop being answered, and the claim is found from the plate. If all you have is a first name and a mobile, you may end up in the nominal defendant process instead, which is harder and has shorter deadlines. Q: It happened on a footpath or in a car park. Does that change it? A: Generally not for the injury claim. What matters is that the injury was caused by the use of a motor vehicle, not whether it happened on a public road. Some schemes treat accidents on private land differently for particular purposes, so mention where it happened when you claim. Q: How long do I have? A: Less time than you would expect, and it differs by state. Some schemes count in weeks for the first step, and hit and run claims can be shorter still. Lodging early costs nothing and preserves everything. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - CTP Insurance Regulator (South Australia), "South Australian CTP insurance scheme" — https://www.ctp.sa.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Motor Accidents Insurance Board, "Motor Accidents Insurance Board" — https://www.maib.tas.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - ACT Government, "Motor Accident Injuries scheme" — https://www.mai.act.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## State and territory hubs (8) ## Car accidents in Queensland URL: https://crashguide.com.au/qld State or territory: Queensland (QLD) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 Queensland has its own compulsory third party scheme and its own crash reporting arrangements. This page covers what is specific to Queensland; the general steps at the scene are the same everywhere. ### Compulsory third party cover Queensland CTP insurance covers personal injury arising from a motor vehicle accident. The scheme is regulated by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), and CTP is selected from licensed insurers when you register your vehicle. ### Reporting an accident The Queensland Police Service sets out when a traffic crash must be reported and how to do it. Reporting obligations depend on the circumstances — including injury, a driver failing to exchange details, or a vehicle needing to be towed. ### If someone was injured in Queensland Seek medical attention first. Queensland CTP claims run through the scheme administered by MAIC, which publishes the process, the forms and the time limits that apply. Time limits are real and they are not generous. If anyone was injured, look at the MAIC guidance early rather than waiting to see how recovery goes. ### Reporting a crash in Queensland Check the Queensland Police Service traffic crash reporting page for the current requirements and the online reporting option. Whether you must report depends on what happened, so read it against your own circumstances. ### Sources - Motor Accident Insurance Commission, "Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance in Queensland" — https://maic.qld.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Queensland Police Service, "Reporting a traffic crash to police" — https://www.police.qld.gov.au/traffic/traffic-crash-reporting (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in New South Wales URL: https://crashguide.com.au/nsw State or territory: New South Wales (NSW) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 New South Wales runs its motor accident injury scheme through SIRA, and CTP cover is commonly called a green slip. This page covers what is specific to NSW. ### Compulsory third party cover CTP insurance in NSW — the green slip — covers personal injury from a motor accident. The scheme is regulated by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), which publishes how claims are made and what benefits are available. ### Reporting an accident The NSW Police Force sets out when a crash must be reported. Reporting is generally expected where someone is injured, a driver fails to stop or exchange details, or a vehicle has to be towed away. ### If someone was injured in NSW The NSW motor accident injury scheme is administered under SIRA. Start with the SIRA material for how to lodge, what is covered and the applicable time limits. ### Reporting a crash in NSW Check the current NSW Police guidance for reporting requirements and how to report. If police attend, get the event number. ### Sources - State Insurance Regulatory Authority, "Compulsory Third Party (Green Slip) insurance" — https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - NSW Police Force, "Reporting a crash to NSW Police" — https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in Victoria URL: https://crashguide.com.au/vic State or territory: Victoria (VIC) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 Victoria runs a distinctive no-fault transport accident scheme through the Transport Accident Commission. This page covers what is specific to Victoria. ### Compulsory third party cover The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) administers Victoria's transport accident scheme, funded through a charge collected with vehicle registration. It covers treatment and support for people injured in transport accidents, and it operates differently from CTP schemes in other states. ### Reporting an accident Victoria Police publish when a collision must be reported. Requirements generally turn on injury, failure to exchange details, or property damage where the owner cannot be located. ### If someone was injured in Victoria The TAC scheme is the starting point for injury following a transport accident in Victoria. The TAC publishes how to lodge a claim, what it covers and the applicable time limits. Because the Victorian scheme differs materially from other states, do not assume advice written for another state applies here. ### Reporting a collision in Victoria Check current Victoria Police guidance for reporting requirements and the available reporting channels. ### Sources - Transport Accident Commission, "The Transport Accident Commission scheme" — https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - Victoria Police, "Reporting a collision in Victoria" — https://www.police.vic.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in Western Australia URL: https://crashguide.com.au/wa State or territory: Western Australia (WA) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 Western Australia's motor injury insurance is administered by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia. This page covers what is specific to WA. ### Compulsory third party cover Motor injury insurance in WA is provided through the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA) and is paid with vehicle registration. It covers personal injury arising from a motor vehicle crash. ### Reporting an accident WA has its own crash reporting arrangements, including online reporting. Requirements depend on injury, the value of property damage, and whether details were exchanged. ### If someone was injured in WA ICWA publishes how to make a motor injury claim in Western Australia, what is covered and the time limits that apply. Start there, and start early. ### Reporting a crash in WA Check current WA Police guidance for when and how a crash must be reported, and keep any reference number you are given. ### Sources - Insurance Commission of Western Australia, "Motor injury insurance in Western Australia" — https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in South Australia URL: https://crashguide.com.au/sa State or territory: South Australia (SA) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 South Australia has a regulated CTP scheme with a choice of insurer. This page covers what is specific to SA. ### Compulsory third party cover CTP insurance in South Australia covers personal injury arising from a motor vehicle accident and is regulated by the state CTP Insurance Regulator. Vehicle owners select a CTP insurer at registration. ### Reporting an accident South Australia Police publish the circumstances in which a crash must be reported, including injury and property damage thresholds. ### If someone was injured in SA The South Australian CTP scheme material sets out how injury claims are made, which insurer to contact and the time limits that apply. ### Reporting a crash in SA Check current SA Police guidance for reporting requirements and the reporting channels available. ### Sources - CTP Insurance Regulator (South Australia), "South Australian CTP insurance scheme" — https://www.ctp.sa.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in Tasmania URL: https://crashguide.com.au/tas State or territory: Tasmania (TAS) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 Tasmania's motor accident injury scheme is run by the Motor Accidents Insurance Board. This page covers what is specific to Tasmania. ### Compulsory third party cover The Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) provides Tasmania's motor accident personal injury scheme, funded through a premium collected with vehicle registration. It provides benefits for people injured in motor accidents. ### Reporting an accident Tasmania Police publish when a crash must be reported. Requirements generally involve injury, failure to exchange details, or damage above a threshold. ### If someone was injured in Tasmania MAIB publishes how to lodge a claim, what benefits are available and the time limits. Notify them early — Tasmania's scheme has its own notification expectations. ### Reporting a crash in Tasmania Check current Tasmania Police guidance for reporting requirements and channels. ### Sources - Motor Accidents Insurance Board, "Motor Accidents Insurance Board" — https://www.maib.tas.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in the ACT URL: https://crashguide.com.au/act State or territory: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 The ACT operates the Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) scheme. This page covers what is specific to the Territory. ### Compulsory third party cover The ACT Motor Accident Injuries scheme provides benefits to people injured in motor accidents in the Territory. Vehicle owners choose an MAI insurer at registration, and the scheme is overseen by the ACT Government. ### Reporting an accident ACT Policing publish when a collision must be reported and how. Requirements depend on injury, failure to exchange details and the extent of damage. ### If someone was injured in the ACT The ACT MAI scheme material explains how to apply for benefits, what is covered and the time limits. Applications have early deadlines in the ACT scheme, so do not delay. ### Reporting a collision in the ACT Check current ACT Policing guidance for reporting requirements and channels. ### Sources - ACT Government, "Motor Accident Injuries scheme" — https://www.mai.act.gov.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) --- ## Car accidents in the Northern Territory URL: https://crashguide.com.au/nt State or territory: Northern Territory (NT) Last reviewed: 2026-09-10 The Northern Territory runs a no-fault Motor Accidents Compensation scheme. This page covers what is specific to the NT. ### Compulsory third party cover The Northern Territory Motor Accidents Compensation (MAC) scheme provides benefits to people injured in motor vehicle accidents in the Territory, on a no-fault basis, funded through vehicle registration. ### Reporting an accident NT Police publish when a crash must be reported. Long distances and remote locations make it particularly important to record the exact location. ### If someone was injured in the NT The NT Government publishes how the Motor Accidents Compensation scheme works, how to lodge and the time limits that apply. ### Remote and regional accidents On remote roads, record your location as precisely as you can — nearest community, highway and kilometre marker, or GPS coordinates. Emergency response, towing and recovery all take longer, and a vague location costs time you may not have. ### Sources - Northern Territory Government, "Motor Accidents Compensation Scheme" — https://nt.gov.au/law/processes/motor-accidents-compensation-scheme (checked 2026-09-10) - AFCA, "Australian Financial Complaints Authority" — https://www.afca.org.au/ (checked 2026-09-10) ---