Shepparton Car Accident Solicitor - Victoria Compensation Claims VIC

LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 224 077

If you have been injured in a road accident in our Shepparton Car Accident Solicitors can help you obtain personal injury compensation through the Transport Accident Commission. Call our helpline, or complete the online contact form, or send an email, and a member of our legal team will be in touch as soon as possible. This is an obligation-free service.

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC)

Most of us will be involved in a road accident at some time in our lives, and it is good to know that if such an eventuality takes place, then help is at hand, in the form of the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), an organisation set-up by the government of Victoria, designed to help out at such times by providing compensation to people injured in road traffic accidents.

Should the TAC accept your injury claim, then a variety of benefits and payments are available following a Shepparton car accident. Depending on your injuries and circumstances you may find that you have an entitlement to a wide variety of services, including medical services, rehabilitation and disability services, travel and household support, death benefits (although hopefully they will not be needed) and income assistance.

Of course every accident and person is different, and the payments and benefits of the TAC are tailored to individual cases and extent to which particular services will aid with recovery.

What is covered?

A wide variety of accidents and situations are covered, which may be a surprise to many Victorians. You are not only covered if you are in a Shepparton car accident, but a range of other circumstances and vehicles, including as a cyclist, motorbike rider, passenger (even in a tram or train) or as a pedestrian. In most cases compensation will available.

Types of available compensation

There are a variety of different benefits and services that will be available for personal injury caused as a result of a Shepparton car accident, depending on your own situation :

Medical and Dental Expenses
This is the most common type of benefit available and covers a wide range of different benefits and payments. Covered among this type of benefit include ambulance services (whether from the scene of the accident to the hospital or between hospitals), treatment at a wide range of public, private and specialist hospitals, nursing services necessitated by home visits after a discharge from hospital, pharmacy items prescribed by a doctor that are necessary for your recovery, visits to a doctor (whether your family doctor or a specialist doctor) and therapeutic services (whether physical or psychological).

Medical expenses also cover a number of services which include damage from accidents in other ways. For example, if your teeth are damaged in an accident then dental services may be able to pay for restoration of those teeth, or if your glasses or hearing aid are damaged in the accident then the TAC may be able to pay for either repair or replacement of those devices where possible.
Income Benefits
Income can be a problem for many people as a result of an accident or injury, Should you be unable to return to work immediately as a result of your accident, then income support can be paid as a temporary support until you are able to do so. This can also cover reasonable costs incurred for rehabilitation and disability services that are necessary as part of your treatment, for example a return to work program.

Should you be unable to work as a result of your accident in the long term, then earning capacity benefits are also available to help those who are no longer able to earn an income as a result of an injury received.
Travelling Expenses
Travelling expenses can be a particular cost of those who have been injured in an accident and perhaps unable to drive, and the TAC can reimburse reasonable costs incurred for travelling to and from accident-related treatment as well as some students for travelling to and from school, either by private car or public transport.
Household Support Services
Sometimes as a result of a traffic accident injury you may find that household tasks become difficult or impossible. If this is the case then the TAC is able to fund someone who can support you in the short term to do some household tasks as mopping, cleaning, gardening and vacuuming.
- Childcare
  Childcare can often be a problem after an accident, particularly in the case of finding childcare during hospitalisation or treatment appointments. In these cases the TAC can pay for a carer who can look after your children while you are receiving treatment.
- Death Benefits
  In the unfortunate case of an accident where someone has died, the TAC has specific benefits for this scenario. These include helping towards the cost of a funeral, whether a burial or a cremation, counselling services and financial support for dependents where necessary. These benefits will depend on the financial situation of the family in question.

If the accident was your fault

The benefits and payments that are available to you may depend on whether the accident was your fault or not. Presuming the accident was not your fault then you will have access to the whole range of benefits and payments, including Common law compensation (although this depends on the severity of your injuries). Common law compensation covers damages for loss of earnings, out-of-pocket expenses and pain and suffering.

However, if the accident was your fault, then the benefits and payments that you are entitled to will be limited to claims involving those benefits that are known as “No Fault” benefits under the TAC scheme. Typically these include compensation for your own injuries, loss of wages and medical expenses.

Whether the accident was your fault or not, it is worthwhile making a claim to the TAC to make sure that you receive entitlement to the appropriate payments.

What time limits are in place?

Various time limits apply when making compensation claims as a result of injury caused by a Shepparton car accident. The one that you need most to be aware of is that claims must be made to the TAC within 12 months of the accident, or 3 years in exceptional circumstances.

There are two other time limits that you need to be aware of when making a claim to the TAC. Should the TAC decide against your claim, either in full or in part, then you have 12 months from the date of that decision to challenge the TAC’s decision. In these cases it is advisable to seek advice from a lawyer to help you with the appeal.

Should you have suffered an injury that is permanent, then you may be able to apply for impairment benefits. In such cases you have 6 years from the date of the original accident in order to make a claim.

The 6 year time limit also applies should you wish to apply for Common law compensation in cases where the accident was not your fault.

The time limits are generally fixed and not extended, and you should not presume that time limits may be extended in your case.

Getting legal help

Even if your claim is straightforward it may be in your best interest to engage the services of a solicitor, in order to make sure that your interests are fully represented and to avoid the potential legal pitfalls of the regulations.

This is particularly the case for TAC appeals, where a solicitor can help you to understand what grounds you may have for challenging at appeal.

If you would like further information on how to make a claim under a No Win No Fee policy, call our legal team today. Obligation-free advice is available through our service. Do not delay in seeking legal advice as time limits apply.