Legal help when accident injuries keep you from work

In summary: If a road accident is keeping you off work, the scheme in your state can include income support, and stalled or stopped payments can be chased and reviewed. In Victoria that scheme is the TAC. A common law claim may add more where injuries are serious.

What should you know if you're still off work months after a crash?

When you’re still off work three months after a crash, the loss of income can be as difficult to manage as the injury itself. Laws and compensation schemes vary by state: the TAC in Victoria, CTP schemes in most other states, so the starting point is the scheme that applies where the crash happened. In Victoria, many claims go through the TAC, the Transport Accident Commission, which can include income support if your injury affects your ability to work. Maurice Blackburn handles road accident claims across Australia, except in New South Wales and South Australia.

What kind of lawyer helps with lost income after a road injury?

You'd usually speak with road accident lawyers, sometimes called motor vehicle accident lawyers. We help you look at lost wages, reduced hours, loss of earning capacity, or payments that have been delayed, reduced or stopped. If your injuries have an ongoing impact on your ability to work or your everyday life, it's worth understanding whether a common law claim could be available. Common law means a separate legal claim that can include pain and suffering or future earning capacity where your injuries are serious enough to meet the legal test. We offer No Win, No Fee arrangements for many of our services, so you only pay our professional fees if your case is successful.

What information can help with a lost wage claim?

A few documents carry most of the weight here:

• medical certificates
• payslips
• employer letters
• insurer or scheme correspondence
• notes about how your injury affects your hours, duties or capacity to return

If a payment hasn't started, has stopped, or seems lower than expected, advice can clarify the reason and what review steps are available. If your income support has stalled or stopped, we can follow it up with the scheme or insurer on your behalf, including the calls, the letters and the follow-up.

We're here to help

Months off work with bills mounting is stressful, but you don't have to chase payments on your own. We can look at why your income support has stalled and work to progress it. A free online claim check shows where you stand, or ring 1800 111 222 and talk it through.