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Medical records and evidence for a CTP claim
A CTP claim rests on two kinds of proof: that the crash happened and was reported, and what it did to you, in writing from a doctor. Most schemes ask for a police report or reference number and a medical certificate or report when you lodge, and then for receipts, pay records and, later, specialist assessments.
General information, not legal or medical advice. Each scheme publishes its own forms. Use the one your scheme names, and ask it if you are unsure what to send.
What each scheme asks for when you lodge
| State | Police | Medical | Also asked for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | A police event number | A Certificate of Fitness from a GP, preferably on SIRA’s form | Crash details, treatment receipts, proof of earnings from before and after the crash |
| VIC | A police report number, or the officer’s name, badge number and station | Written details of your injuries from a treating health professional or hospital | Details of other drivers, witnesses and vehicles; employment and income |
| QLD | Evidence the crash was reported, with a traffic incident (QP) number | A CTP insurance medical certificate, after an in-person examination | Certified identity documents, a claimant certificate, a form signed before an eligible witness |
| SA | The South Australia Police report number | A Medical Certificate completed by a doctor | Proof of identity, drug and alcohol test documents if tested, income evidence, receipts |
| ACT | Report within 24 hours if police didn’t attend | An MAI Medical Report completed by your doctor | A Personal Injuries Application for each person injured |
| NT | The police accident report reference number, if you were the driver | Copies of medical certificates or reports about your treatment | Payslips or tax returns if claiming lost earning capacity; details of other insurance |
| TAS | Report to police in person if they didn’t attend | An Application for Benefits, and a Notice of Accident if you were a driver or owner. Ask the MAIB what to attach. | |
| WA | The Online Crash Report lets a driver or owner report the crash, which they are legally obliged to do, and claim at the same time; passengers and pedestrians can notify their injuries. | ||
Missing something? NSW, Queensland and South Australia all say you can lodge without every document and send the rest when you have it. Deadlines are in claim time limits.
Hurt while working? In Victoria, the TAC asks that if you were injured while you were working, you submit a WorkSafe claim before a TAC claim. In NSW, SIRA says that if the crash was work-related, you will also need to make a workers compensation claim.
The medical record, done properly
The doctor’s paperwork does most of the work in an injury claim, and the schemes are particular about it.
- Use the scheme’s own form. Queensland’s CTP medical certificate is not the same as a fitness-for-work certificate for an employer. In the ACT, a doctor’s usual medical certificate isn’t enough for income replacement; it must be the MAI Fitness For Work Certificate.
- List every injury. The TAC needs written documentation of the injuries you sustained in the accident, from your treating health professional or the hospital, and cannot lodge your claim without it.
- Get it complete. Queensland lists what a certificate should include: whether the doctor examined you and when, whether you were already their patient, whether the injuries fit the circumstances of the crash, the doctor’s AHPRA registration number, and their initials and signature.
- Keep the receipt. If a doctor charges to complete South Australia’s certificate, the insurer can reimburse you if the claim is accepted.
- Send documents, not photos of injuries. The TAC asks for clear photos of all pages of your documentation, and asks you not to upload photos of your injuries.
Evidence about the crash
A claim also needs the basic facts of the crash: who was involved, any witnesses, and when and where it happened. SIRA in NSW lists what to record.
The registration number matters for another reason: in fault-based states it tells you which insurer to claim from. Queensland’s online tool finds a vehicle’s CTP insurer from its registration number, and South Australia has a CTP Insurer Search for the same job.
Money: what you lost and what you spent
Lost income is proved with ordinary records. NSW asks for pay slips from before and after the crash; Queensland lists payslips and tax returns as proof of financial loss. In the ACT, the insurer needs enough to work out your pay over the 52 weeks before the accident.
For spending, keep every receipt: treatment, medication and allied health accounts. Queensland’s regulator suggests keeping doctors’ reports, receipts and proof of lost wages throughout, and points out that some costs of gathering evidence can themselves be part of the claim. Tasmania’s MAIB reimburses travel to treatment when you travel more than 20 kilometres each way, so keep a note of those trips too.
Later in the claim
Access to your records
Signing a claim form usually gives the insurer authority to collect records. In Queensland that can include doctors, hospitals, employers and other insurers, including information from before the crash, and the insurer must give you or your lawyer a copy of what it obtains. The ACT form includes a similar authority, which may cover previous medical history. South Australia explains why: insurers check that injuries were caused by the crash and weren’t already there.
Assessments by other doctors
You may be asked to see doctors you didn’t choose. In Queensland the insurer may require a medico-legal examination at its expense, and you must cooperate. In South Australia, once your injuries are stable, you can undergo an Injury Scale Value assessment, scored from 0 to 100. In the ACT, permanent injuries are assessed for whole person impairment by an authorised independent examiner, from six months after the accident.
Keeping the insurer informed
Queensland lists telling the insurer about any significant change, such as in your medical condition or work, among a claimant’s responsibilities, along with being truthful: false or misleading information is an offence there.
If the evidence is complex or disputed, that is one of the moments people bring in a lawyer: do I need a car accident lawyer?