This is not a calculator and not an assessment of whether you can claim. It is about getting your own circumstances and paperwork into a state where somebody can tell you that.
The circumstances decide the scheme
New South Wales handles injuries through different schemes depending on how the injury happened. The Personal Injury Commission describes itself as resolving disputes between people injured in motor accidents and workplaces, employers and insurers, and it publishes separate dispute pathways for workers compensation and for motor accidents. Other injuries may involve different legal pathways. Where and how you were hurt — at work, on the road, somewhere open to the public, or in circumstances that fit none of those neatly — helps identify the relevant scheme.
So start with the circumstances, in order
Write down where you were, what you were doing and why you were there. Note who else was present and whether anyone made a record at the time — an incident report, a police event number, a manager’s email. If the answer to “was this at work” is complicated, say so rather than simplifying it.
Then the documents
Anything given to you at the time. Anything a doctor or hospital has given you, exactly as issued. Every letter or reference number from an insurer. Records of time away from work. Receipts for anything you have paid out. Photographs, if there are any.
Ask early, because time limits are not the same everywhere
Time limits apply in this area and they are not the same from scheme to scheme. That is the reason to get advice about your own situation promptly rather than when you feel ready: this general overview does not determine which time limit applies to your circumstances. Official scheme guidance can help, and tailored advice can address which rules and exceptions are relevant.
What to ask
Which scheme do my circumstances fall under, and what decides that? What are the next steps, in order? What do you need from me that I do not have yet? What should I not do while this is being worked out?
Practitioners in this area are listed under compensation, and the guides explain how the directory is put together.
General information, not legal advice. It does not take your circumstances into account and does not create a lawyer and client relationship. Lawyers of Sydney is operated by Jameson Law; listings describe individual practitioners and firms, and a listing is not a recommendation.