The way you’re covered by compulsory personal injury insurance if you’re involved in a motor accident in the ACT changed from 1 February 2020. Under the new scheme, Canberrans will receive fairer, faster and more comprehensive support if they are injured in a motor vehicle accident.
Everyone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident will be entitled to receive treatment, care and lost income benefits for up to five years – no matter who was at fault. This is different to the previous scheme that only covered people injured by an at-fault driver (third parties).
The name of the new scheme is the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme (the previous scheme was the Compulsory Third-party (CTP) Insurance Scheme). If you paid a CTP insurance policy when you registered your vehicle prior to 1 February 2020 and that policy extended past 1 February 2020, then that policy automatically became a Motor Accident Injuries policy on 1 February 2020.
The new scheme delivers:
- fair coverage for all road users
- equitable access to treatment and care for people who are injured
- quick and transparent benefits to get recovery underway as soon as possible
- comprehensive and ongoing support for those who need it most.
You can find out more about the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme on this website.
There is also a Defined Benefit Information Service provided by CARE inc, that provides free advice and assistance to people on accessing the defined benefits available to them under the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme. The Defined Benefit Information Service by CARE can be contacted on 1300 209 642.
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, the scheme you are covered under depends on the date of the accident, not the date of your application. Any claims for accidents that occurred before 1 February 2020 will be managed under the Compulsory Third-party (CTP) Insurance Scheme, regardless of when the claim is made. Visit Treasury website to find out more about the CTP Scheme.
Your Motor Accident Injuries policy will indemnify you for an accident that occurs interstate if another person is injured and you are at fault. However, if you are injured in the accident what you receive in benefits or compensation for your injuries will be under the applicable scheme in that state, and not of the ACT scheme.