The process of a Motor Vehicle Accident case
Every Motor Vehicle Accident case is different, but there are a number of steps you generally go through during the process of making a claim. Over 80 years, we've become experts in this process.
We understand that everyone's injuries and circumstances are different, so we take the time to truly understand your story. That way, we can fight for the specific compensation you're entitled to right from the start - minimising stress and maximising compensation.
Our expert and caring team can guide you through each of these steps to ensure you get the best possible outcome:
Make a claim
You'll need to make a claim with the insurance company or government agency that manages these types of claims in your state.
Get in touch with us
If you're ever involved in a road or transport accident, you should contact us as soon as possible. Whether your claim is accepted or rejected. After you get in touch with us, we'll take the time to understand your situation, give you some initial information on your options and arrange a time for your free initial appointment**.
Attend your free initial appointment**
Here, we'll give you all the information you need to make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with us. This includes letting you know your legal rights and entitlements, our fee arrangement, and the next steps involved should you choose to proceed. Once you choose to proceed, we'll organise any immediate compensation benefits or care that you require.
Your injury needs to stabilise
Depending on the time you begin taking legal action, we may need to wait for your injury to stabilise. This is so we understand the full extent and impact of your injury in order for us to maximise the compensation you can receive. Once your injury is stable, we'll then proceed with gathering evidence.
We'll gather your evidence
Once your injury has stabilised, we begin gathering evidence on the accident, including your file from the insurer, police or witness reports, or any or expert reports. At the appropriate time, medical records and reports are gathered from treating medical and allied health professionals. We'll also book any medical examinations you need in the future straight away to minimise wait times later on.
You'll attend joint medical examinations
At the appropriate time, appointments with qualified medical practitioners are undertaken. The doctors you see aren't our doctors, nor are they the insurer's - they're independent. And, they're there to provide an objective examination of your injuries. We'll help select the appropriate medical examiner for you and your injuries.
We'll apply for common law damages
Once all relevant evidence has been received, we can help you make a claim for common law damages.
We'll attend an informal settlement conference
Once we have all the medical and other evidence needed we will advise you about the value of you compensation entitlements and arrange to meet with the insurer to negotiate a settlement of your claim.
If you're successful, you'll receive compensation
If the case resolves at the informal settlement conference, you'll receive compensation and your case will end. If the case doesn't resolve at this stage, there are further steps we can take to get you the compensation you're entitled to.
How we'll work with you
The insurer will have their own lawyers advising them on your claim, however, they are not required to provide you with legal advice and they may not automatically pay your full benefits or compensation entitlements. When you work with us, you'll have the benefits of a large team who have been fighting hard to protect the rights of the injured for over 80 years.
We’ll ensure your best interests are put first, including assisting with the management of upfront costs. We do this by offering our clients a No Win – No Fee payment arrangement* - so you don’t have to worry about paying our legal fees unless we win your case.
By choosing one of our expert road accident lawyers to represent you:
You’ll know if your case and entitlements have been correctly assessed
You’ll know about the strict time limits that apply to seeking compensation
You’ll be able to dispute any unreasonable decision
You'll have a dedicated support worker who will guide you through every stage of your case, and is contactable when you need them
You’ll know what evidence you need and how we will help you get it
You’ll have access to support through our in-house social work service free of charge
We’ll obtain the best possible result for you, whatever the challenge or complexity