Compulsory Third Party claims in the ACT
NRMA is the compulsory third party insurer for any personal injuries that arise from transport accidents caused by drivers of ACT registered vehicles. Therefore, any claim brought against a driver of an ACT registered vehicle will ultimately be a claim against the NRMA.
Time Limits in the ACT for a transport vehicle claim.
In order to lodge a motor vehicle accident claim for damages in the ACT, a Civil Law Wrongs Notification Form needs to be lodged with the respondent within 9 months of the accident or 4 months of consulting a solicitor (whichever is earlier).
Another important time limit to remember is the Statute of Limitations expiry. In the ACT, this will occur 3 years after the date of the accident. Any NRMA claim for damages for a personal injury needs to be lodged within this 3 year time limit.
It is also important to note that if you have been involved in an accident and you are unaware of the registration number, contact details or identity/ies of the other driver/s, more stringent time limits apply.
If this is the case, we recommend that you seek legal advice immediately, following the motor vehicle accident, to ensure that all time limits are adhered to and your interests are protected.
Contacting with NRMA for your transport accident claim
We recommend that you do not contact the NRMA directly in relation to your transport accident claim. One of the advantages of legal representation is that your interests will be protected by your lawyer. Once you have retained a transport accident lawyer, it is their job to liaise with all other relevant stakeholders including insurers such as NRMA, other solicitors, other parties to the transport accident, witnesses of the transport accident, etc, for the purposes of your NRMA claim. This ensures that your interests are protected and that we are able to closely monitor and progress your NRMA claim in the most efficient and effective way possible.
To find out what benefits you are entitled to for your transport accident, visit our one of our offices and see our expert transport accident lawyers who are ready to advise you or call our Legal help line, toll free on 1800 555 777.
Additional lump sum benefit
Many superannuation funds provide coverage for a disability insurance benefit, often referred to as a Total Permanent Disability (TPD) benefit. This insurance cover, if provided under your superannuation, is a benefit additional to the contributions that you and/or your employer have made to your superannuation fund during the period of your membership. Most people are unaware or forget that this insurance cover is in place.
Depending on the terms of the insurance cover, a TPD benefit may be significant and may help ease the financial burden you face during the difficult times that follow a disability.
Generally it does not matter how your injury or illness came about; just that you are suffering from a total and permanent disability or illness. Many people on workers’ compensation, motor vehicle injury compensation or the Centerlink Disability Support Pension can claim as well as people who suffer an unexpected illness that prevents them from working.
Whether you can make a claim for a superannuation disability benefit will depend on a number of factors - particularly, whether this insurance cover is provided under your superannuation. If you suffer from any injury or illness that prevents you from working in your normal occupation and would like more information about how Slater & Gordon can help you, please contact us either by email or by calling direct on 1800 555 777.