Latrobe Car Accident Solicitor - Victoria TAC Compensation Claims

LAWYER HELPLINE: 1800 224 077

 

Latrobe Car Accident Solicitors specialise in personal injury claims arising from road accidents in Victoria. If you would like free legal advice or information on No Win No Fee claims, call the 24/7 free helpline or complete the online contact form.

Road Traffic Accidents in Victoria (TAC)

Should you be involved in a car accident in Victoria then you will be entitled to make a claim to a company run by the government of Victoria, funded by registration fees that are paid on Victorian vehicles. The company is known as the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and deals with payments and benefits on a whole range of issues with regards to transport accidents.

Presuming that your Latrobe car accident claim is accepted by the TAC you may be entitled to one or more benefits, depending on the type of accident, the type and severity of your injuries and whether the accident was your fault. The benefits and payments available for Latrobe car accident injuries cover a number of medical and rehabilitation services, plus household and income support.

Each Latrobe car accident case will be looked at individually by the TAC in determining the level and type of payments available to you, and whether such treatments and services contribute to your recovery is a major factor.

What accidents are covered?

The coverage for Latrobe car accidents extends beyond claims for car accidents and includes accidents involving, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes, trams, trains and even pedestrians. It also does not matter in which capacity you have been injured (for example driver, passenger or pedestrian) as you will be able to access compensation from the TAC through the scheme.

What types of compensation are available?

There are a variety of services and benefits for which the TAC is able to make payments, including the following:

  1. Medical Expenses:

    There are a variety of different medical services for which payments can typically be made. These include ambulances in getting you from the scene of an accident to a hospital or between hospitals, hospital service themselves (treatment at a public or private hospital), the cost of visits to a doctor (whether family or specialist). This also includes the cost of nursing, for example home nursing visits after you have been discharged from hospital.

    Help is also available for pharmacy and therapeutic costs. This includes any medicines required for your treatment and recovery as a result of the accident that are prescribed for you, and any therapy services (whether physical or psychological) that are needed as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

    Payments may also be made in order to help with the restoration of teeth damaged in an accident as well as the repair or replacement of such aids as glasses or hearing aids that were damaged in the accident.

  2. Income Benefits:

    Your income may be affected by the accident, either through a short term inability to work or through losing the capacity to work. In either case payments are available. In the short term income support may be paid on a temporary basis until you can return to work, as well as reasonable costs of disability and rehabilitation services to help you return to work.

    Loss of earning capacity benefits may be payable if you lose the capacity to return to work as a result of an injury from a transport accident.

  3. Travelling Expenses:

    Where travelling expenses are incurred as a result of treatment following an accident, then reimbursement may be made for journeys involving public transport or private car (and very rarely taxi) and eligible students for school travel.

  4. Household Support Services:

    In some cases an accident may mean that you are unable to perform many normal household chores and tasks, in which case financial help may pay for someone to come and help you to do some of these tasks, such as gardening, cleaning, vacuuming, mopping, in the short term.

  5. Childcare:

    Childcare during treatment can be a problem, particularly with regard to having children looked after while treatment is taking place, and in such cases support from the TAC is available, and can pay for a carer to look after children.

  6. Death Benefits:

    If a Latrobe car accident should result in a death, then the TAC is able to make certain payments of financial support. The benefits available will be dependent on the circumstances of the family but will include help with cremation and burial services, counselling and financial support for dependents.

Fault

What benefits are available to you will depend on whether the accident was your fault or the fault of another, but in either case certain benefits will be available and a claim should be made as soon as possible.

If the accident was not your fault then depending on your injuries and how serious they are you may be able to apply for Common Law compensation. This will not be the case however if the accident was your fault. In such a case you will have a limited entitlement to benefits, which are known as “No-Fault” benefits. These include medical expenses, loss of wages, and compensation for injuries sustained.

Time Limits

Any claim with the TAC should be lodged within 12 months of the accident. This can in rare circumstances be extended to 3 years but should not be presumed in any individual case.

There are also other time limits which apply to specific situations.

The first situation comes into play if the TAC rejects your claim either partially or entirely. In such a case you have 12 months form the date of the TAC’s decision to appeal. In these cases it is advisable to retain the services of an experienced TAC lawyer who is able to advise you.

The second situation is if you have suffered a permanent impairment as a result of the transport accident. In these cases you have up to 6 years from the date of the accident to make a claim. The 6 year time limit is also applicable for making a claim for Common law compensation.

Time limits may be extended but it is rarely the case, and so claims should be made as soon as possible.

No Win No Fee Solicitors

It is often helpful to retain the services of a personal injury solicitor in making a claim to the TAC, even if you expect your claim to be straightforward.

Solicitors are aware of the complex legislation involved in the process, and are able to advise on difficult issues as well as making sure that you are fully aware of the legal situation.

The help of a solicitor can be particularly helpful when challenging the decisions of the TAC.

Call our free helpline to find out about our No Win No Fee policy, and how we can help you obtain maximum compensation entitlements.

LAWYER HELPLINE: 1800 224 077