Free claim check. No win, no fee, no upfront costs
Office
Suite 1004, Level 10, 46 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A boutique firm opposite the QVB that takes serious injury claims only, and only in New South Wales, including car accident and CTP claims. Matthew Garling founded it, and the firm says every one of its lawyers is an accredited specialist in personal injury law, so one runs your claim. That counts most when a crash leaves you with more than a threshold injury and a lump sum claim is in play. It won Best Personal Injury Firm in its size bracket at the 2026 Beaton Client Choice Awards. The claim check is free and the firm works on a no win, no fee basis with no upfront costs.
Also worth knowing
Free claim check, and no win, no fee terms with no upfront costs, the firm says.
Lawyers
The firm says all three are accredited specialists in personal injury law (2005, 2022 and 2024).
Matthew Garling, Principal Lawyer
Kerry Byrnes, Senior Associate
Katie Ferrier, Senior Associate
Areas of car accident law handled
Workers compensation
Motor vehicle and CTP
Medical negligence
Public liability
TPD and superannuation
Dust diseases
Office
Suite 1004, Level 10, 46 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Free first consultation. No fees or expenses if the claim fails
Office
Level 20, 227 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation firm that handles motor vehicle and CTP claims, chaired by Tom Goudkamp OAM, a compensation lawyer for more than 40 years and an accredited specialist in personal injury law, according to the firm. He was awarded the OAM in 2005 for services to injured people. Besides the Elizabeth Street office there are ten more across Sydney, regional NSW and Canberra, including Liverpool, Parramatta, Blacktown and Miranda, which helps if you're recovering and don't want to travel. For bigger claims the firm says it usually visits clients at home. The first consultation is free, and you pay no fees or expenses if the claim fails.
Also worth knowing
Arranges interpreters and translates documents, and usually visits clients at home for major claims.
Lawyers
The firm says Tom Goudkamp OAM is an accredited specialist in personal injury law.
Free claim check. No win, no fee, and the firm funds disbursements
Office
Level 57, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A personal injury only firm led by director Issa Rabaya, with offices in the MLC Centre on Martin Place, in Parramatta and in Perth. It handles car accident and CTP claims alongside workers compensation, public liability and TPD claims. If your injuries make travel hard after a crash, the firm says it can visit you at home. Claims run on a no win, no fee basis, with the firm funding costs such as medical reports while the claim runs and recovering them only if you win. Issa Rabaya speaks Arabic.
Also worth knowing
Director Issa Rabaya speaks Arabic, and there's a Parramatta office as well as Martin Place.
Lawyers
Issa Rabaya, Director
Minaa Mohmand, Special Counsel
Esther Ihn, Senior Associate
Isabel Sarcia, Senior Lawyer
Maria Drosos, Associate
Mihana Wen, Associate
Areas of car accident law handled
Workers compensation
Work injury damages
Motor vehicle and CTP
Public liability
TPD and superannuation
Police and emergency services claims
Office
Level 57, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Free initial advice, phone consultation and claim assessment. No win, no fee and no disbursements, with capped fees on lump sum claims, according to the firm.
Office
Level 23, 270 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Law Partners says it practises solely in personal injury law, and it has a dedicated motor accident team, including partners Chantille Khoury and Tanja Maksimovic and managing solicitor Alexander Le Hoang. Its Sydney CBD office is on Pitt Street, with 13 more NSW offices from Penrith to Port Macquarie. Its site walks through statutory benefits, threshold injury decisions, common law lump sums and disputes at the Personal Injury Commission. It suits people with a serious or disputed CTP claim who want a large team. Advice and phone consultations are free, and it works on no win, no fee, no disbursements terms.
Also worth knowing
It has 14 NSW offices, including Sydney CBD, Parramatta and Bondi Junction.
Lawyers
The team page doesn't say which lawyers are based in the Sydney CBD office.
Chantille Khoury, Partner, motor accident injury
Tanja Maksimovic, Partner, motor accident injury Accredited personal injury law specialist
Gillian Potts, Partner, motor accident injury and medical negligence Accredited personal injury law specialist
Lydia Wheatley, Partner Accredited personal injury law specialist
Alexander Le Hoang, Managing Solicitor, motor accident injury
Sakeena Haider, Solicitor, motor accident injury
Areas of car accident law handled
CTP statutory benefits claims
Income support claims
Treatment, rehabilitation and care claims
Threshold injury disputes
Common law lump sum claims
Permanent impairment claims
Insurer internal reviews
Personal Injury Commission disputes
Motorcycle and pillion claims
Cyclist and pedestrian claims
Public transport accident claims
Office
Level 23, 270 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW
Other details
Other offices
Parramatta, Penrith, Bondi Junction, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Chatswood, Liverpool, Newcastle, North Ryde, Norwest, Port Macquarie, Rockdale and Wollongong, plus Victoria and the ACT
Free initial consultation and claim check, no obligation. No win, no fee terms with conditions. In home consultations for clients who can't travel.
Office
Level 2, 299 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Wyatts Compensation Lawyers is a family run compensation firm led by directors Julie and Neville Wyatt, with more than 25 years in practice according to the firm. Its Sydney office is on Elizabeth Street in the CBD, with more NSW offices in Parramatta and Liverpool. Motor accident claims have their own practice leader, senior associate Silvia Thompson. The site sets out the NSW CTP time limits clearly, including the 28 day window for keeping back pay. The firm offers a free claim check, conditional no win, no fee terms, home visits and consultations in your own language.
Also worth knowing
It offers in home consultations and consultations in a client's preferred language.
Lawyers
Julie Wyatt, Managing Director
Neville Wyatt, Managing Director
Mitchell Broom, Director, Litigation
Silvia Thompson, Senior Associate, Motor Accident Practice Leader
Isaac Carriline, Solicitor
Matthew Magee, Solicitor
Areas of car accident law handled
CTP statutory benefits claims
Weekly income support claims
Medical and rehabilitation expense claims
Lump sum claims for lost earnings
Pain and suffering claims above 10% impairment
Common law damages claims
Fatal accident claims for families
Referral to the icare lifetime care scheme
Truck and motorcycle accident claims
Pedestrian and bicycle accident claims
Office
Level 2, 299 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Other details
Other offices
Parramatta and Liverpool in NSW, plus Melbourne and Brisbane
Free first consultation. No win, no fee terms with conditions. Home visits for clients who can't travel for medical reasons.
Office
Shop 3, 42 Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale NSW 2166
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Alliance Compensation and Litigation Lawyers is a western Sydney injury practice founded in 2009 by principal John Truong, who the firm says gained Law Society of NSW specialist accreditation in personal injury law in 2020. Its offices in Canley Vale, Fairfield and Bankstown suit people in the south west who would rather not travel into the city. Car accident claims sit alongside workers compensation and other injury work, and the team includes a dedicated CTP claims manager. The firm offers a free first consultation, conditional no win, no fee terms, home visits and interpreters.
Founded in 2009
Also worth knowing
It offers home visits for clients who can't travel and access to interpreters.
Lawyers
John Truong, Principal and Managing Director Accredited personal injury law specialist
George Cham, Practice Manager, Common Law Division
Sean Chen, Senior Associate
Deveena Kumar, Solicitor
Debbie Diao, Solicitor
Lin Vay, CTP Claims Manager
Areas of car accident law handled
Car accident claims
Fatal car accident claims for families
Motorcycle accident claims
Pedestrian accident claims
Bicycle accident claims
Public transport accident claims
Hit and run claims
CTP statutory benefits claims
Common law damages claims
Home visits for injured clients
Office
Shop 3, 42 Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale NSW 2166
Other details
Other offices
Fairfield (Spencer Street) and Bankstown (Restwell Street). Strathfield is listed with no address.
Free first consultation and case assessment with no obligation, home or hospital visits, and no win, no fee terms with no upfront costs, according to the firm.
Walker Law Group works only in personal injury and compensation, with a head office in Manly and offices in Bondi Junction, Parramatta and Newcastle. Partner Sharron Vogel is named on several of its CTP case write ups. The firm covers statutory benefits, common law lump sums and disputed or declined claims for drivers, riders, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport passengers. It suits people on the northern beaches or in the eastern suburbs who want a compensation only firm. It offers a free first consultation, home or hospital visits, and no win, no fee terms.
Also worth knowing
It offers home or hospital visits and a free first consultation.
Lawyers
The lawyer listed here is the one named on the firm's case studies.
Free 40 minute consultation. No win, no fee, with costs paid by the firm until the claim resolves
Office
Level 12, 276 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
One of Sydney's oldest firms, operating since 1905, with an office on Pitt Street. It handles motor vehicle and catastrophic injury claims alongside work injury cases, and managing director John Abouchrouche and partner Ivan Simic are accredited personal injury specialists, according to the firm. If you're still in hospital or recovering at home after a crash, it can see you there, anywhere in NSW. It has been part of national firm LHD Lawyers since March 2026 but keeps its name and team. The first 40 minute consultation is free, and the firm pays the costs of a claim until it resolves, on a no win, no fee basis.
Operating since 1905
Also worth knowing
Pays the costs of a claim until it resolves, on a no win, no fee basis, the firm says.
Lawyers
The firm says Ivan Simic and John Abouchrouche are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
First 20 minutes free. No win, no fee for matters the firm accepts
Office
Suite 1, First Floor, 154 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A full service firm established in 1968, with a CBD office and four in Sydney's south west, at Campbelltown, Camden, Liverpool and Oran Park. Its injury team handles motor vehicle and CTP claims, works mainly from Campbelltown, and is led by managing partner Joe Bonura and partner Tess Danjoux, both accredited specialists in personal injury law, according to the firm. Its staff speak languages including Arabic, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Serbian and Vietnamese. There's a 24 hour advice number. The first 20 minutes are free, and injury claims run on a no win, no fee basis for matters the firm accepts.
Established in 1968
Also worth knowing
A 24 hour advice number.
Lawyers
The firm says Joe Bonura, Tess Danjoux and Nikolina Kocorep are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Joe Bonura, Managing Partner
Tess Danjoux, Partner
Nikolina Kocorep, Senior Associate
Sebastian Cannavo, Senior Associate
Monique Celi, Senior Associate
Areas of car accident law handled
Workers compensation
Motor vehicle and CTP
Public liability
Medical negligence
Dust diseases
TPD and superannuation
Historical abuse
Victims compensation
Comcare claims
Office
Suite 1, First Floor, 154 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Free initial consultation. No win, no fee, and the firm covers costs along the way
Office
Level 9, 287 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
A compensation firm on Elizabeth Street in the CBD, run by co-founders Adrian Barakat and Steven Mousas, who are both accredited specialists in personal injury law, according to the firm. It handles motor vehicle accident claims alongside workers compensation, public liability and TPD claims. The team speaks a long list of languages, including Arabic, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Mandarin and Cantonese, which helps if you'd rather go through a CTP claim in your own language. The first consultation is free, and the firm covers the costs of a claim as it goes, on a no win, no fee basis.
Also worth knowing
The firm covers the costs of running a claim as it goes, with nothing to pay upfront.
Lawyers
The firm says both directors are accredited specialists in personal injury law.
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not sure which firm suits you?
Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Sydney car accident lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Sydney office that handle car accident and CTP claims as a main part of their work. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves, focusing on what it offers someone hurt in a crash. Where a firm says a lawyer is a Law Society of NSW accredited specialist in personal injury law we say so, but the register wasn't available for us to check. Free consultations and fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them in your costs agreement. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them, and we leave out self-reported results and success rates.
Some firms pay for a featured listing, which affects where they appear on this page. Payment doesn't buy the write-up. We write those ourselves, and firms don't get to edit them. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules are as published by SIRA, the Personal Injury Commission, icare and the NSW Parliament in October 2026.
What to do after a car accident, and the CTP deadlines
If you're hurt in a crash in NSW, you claim from the CTP insurer of the vehicle involved. CTP Assist, run by SIRA, can tell you which insurer that is, help with the forms and check what you're entitled to. Report the crash to police as soon as you can, and within 28 days. If police came to the scene you don't need to report it, but get the event number.
What you need to do
Time limit
Report the crash to police, unless police attended, and get the event number
Within 28 days
Lodge your claim to get weekly payments backdated to the day after the crash
Within 28 days
Lodge your claim for statutory benefits
Usually within 3 months. A later claim needs a full and satisfactory explanation and generally must still be made within 3 years of the crash
Ask the insurer for an internal review of a decision
Within 28 days of the decision
Lodge a damages claim if you want weekly payments to continue past 2 years
Within 2 years of the crash
Make a claim for damages, a lump sum
Within 3 years of the crash
Be careful with cold calls. SIRA has been told of people posing as insurer or government agents and contacting people soon after a crash. A bill to ban paid cold contact and referral fees for CTP claims passed the Legislative Assembly on 13 May 2026, but as at October 2026 it is still before the Legislative Council and isn't law yet. If someone calls out of the blue about your claim, check with CTP Assist first.
Statutory benefits: who gets them, and the 52 and 104 week points
Most people injured in a crash can claim statutory benefits for medical and treatment costs, lost income and care, whoever was at fault. Exceptions include an at fault driver of an uninsured vehicle and someone charged with a serious driving offence related to the crash. Weekly payments are up to 95% of your pre crash earnings for the first 13 weeks. After that they are 80% if you can't work at all, or up to 85% if you can do some work, with what you earn taken into account. A weekly maximum applies. How long the benefits last turns on two questions: was your injury a threshold injury, and were you mostly at fault?
Your situation
How long benefits last
Threshold injury, such as a soft tissue injury like whiplash, or a psychological injury that isn't a recognised psychiatric illness, or is acute stress disorder or adjustment disorder
Up to 52 weeks after the crash
You were wholly or mostly at fault (more than 61%)
Generally up to 52 weeks after the crash. Children under 16 keep treatment and care beyond that
More than a threshold injury, and not mostly at fault
Weekly payments for up to 2 years (104 weeks). After that, only if you've lodged a damages claim within 2 years
Damages claim lodged, permanent impairment of 10% or less
Weekly payments for up to 3 years from the crash, or until the claim settles
Damages claim lodged, permanent impairment of more than 10%
Weekly payments for up to 5 years from the crash, or until the claim settles
Whether your injury is a threshold injury depends on the diagnosis, not your symptoms, and the insurer makes the first decision. Weekly payments after 52 weeks can be reduced if you were partly at fault. Reasonable and necessary treatment and care can continue after you settle a damages claim, and once care is needed beyond 5 years after the crash, CTP Care takes over paying for it.
Claiming damages for a serious injury
If someone else was at least partly at fault and your injury is more than a threshold injury, you may also claim damages. This is a lump sum for past and future lost earnings, reduced by your share of the blame, for example for not wearing a seatbelt.
Pain and suffering: only if your permanent impairment from the crash is more than 10%
When you can claim: you can lodge a damages claim at any time up to 3 years after the crash. If you want weekly payments to continue past 2 years, lodge it within 2 years. Damages for permanent impairment are usually assessed once your injuries have stabilised, so get advice on timing
Deadline: within 3 years of the crash. A later claim needs a full and satisfactory explanation
Before a damages claim goes to the Personal Injury Commission for assessment, both sides must make their best efforts to settle it. Some claims, such as those where the insurer alleges fraud or the claimant lacks legal capacity, are exempt and go to court instead. Because the timing of a lump sum claim affects your weekly payments, this is the part of a CTP claim where advice matters most.
Disputes at the Personal Injury Commission
If you disagree with the insurer, you usually start with an internal review by the insurer, asked for within 28 days of its decision. If you're still unhappy, the dispute goes to the Personal Injury Commission, at Level 21, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, phone 1800 742 679.
Merit review: for disputes about weekly payments, funeral expenses and treatment and care costs, among others. Only you can apply, and an application made more than 28 days after the internal review outcome need not be accepted. The reviewer can confirm, change or overturn the insurer's decision
Medical disputes: an independent medical assessor appointed by the Commission decides questions such as whether your injury is a threshold injury, your degree of permanent impairment and whether treatment is reasonable and necessary. You need an internal review first, except for permanent impairment. The assessor's findings are binding, but you can ask for a review panel within 28 days of the certificate
Claims assessment: for damages claims. A Commission member tries to help the two sides agree, and if they can't, makes a determination with reasons
Before you get that far, the CTP Legal Advisory Service gives free, confidential legal advice by phone on statutory benefits claims for crashes from 1 December 2017. Its lawyers can't represent you or advise on damages claims, or on matters already in internal review or at the Commission. CTP Assist checks if you're eligible.
Hit and run crashes, serious injuries and fatal accidents
Uninsured or unidentified vehicles. If you're hurt by a vehicle that was uninsured or that can't be identified, you can still claim through the Nominal Defendant, managed by SIRA. Make the claim within 28 days of the crash to get weekly payments from the day after it. A NSW CTP insurer manages the payments on its behalf.
Lifetime Care. icare's Lifetime Care and Support Scheme pays for treatment, rehabilitation and care for people severely injured in a NSW motor accident, whoever was at fault. It covers injuries such as spinal cord injury, brain injury, some amputations, severe burns and permanent blindness in both eyes, for adults hurt on or after 1 October 2007, or children under 16 hurt on or after 1 October 2006. It pays for reasonable and necessary services such as attendant care, equipment and home or vehicle changes. You start as an interim participant for two years, then can apply to stay in the scheme for life. Most people are referred from hospital. icare: 1300 738 586.
When someone dies. Funeral expenses can be claimed by the legal personal representative, or by whoever paid for the funeral, within 3 months of the crash. Close family who develop a psychological injury from the death, and witnesses diagnosed with one, may be able to claim benefits. Close relatives who depended on someone who died and wasn't at fault can claim compensation within 3 years, and it may still be payable if the person was partly at fault. SIRA's fatality support team can be reached through CTP Assist, and the Road Trauma Helpline is 1800 808 384.
What a car accident lawyer costs, and free help in Sydney
Most car accident lawyers work on a no win, no fee basis, which means you pay their professional fees only if the claim succeeds. Legal costs in CTP claims are capped by regulation. A few points to check before you sign:
Uplift fees: a lawyer can charge an extra uplift fee for taking the risk, capped by law at 25% of the legal costs, not counting disbursements
Percentage fees: NSW lawyers can't charge a percentage of your compensation as their fee
Disbursements and the other side's costs: you may still pay disbursements such as medical reports, and if you lose in court you may be ordered to pay the other side's costs. Ask who covers them
Costs disclosure: your lawyer must give you a written costs disclosure when you engage them
Free help in Sydney:
CTP Assist (SIRA): 1300 656 919, for help with the claim process, forms and the free CTP Legal Advisory Service
Personal Injury Commission: 1800 742 679
icare Lifetime Care: 1300 738 586
Road Trauma Helpline: 1800 808 384
LawAccess NSW: 1300 888 529, free legal information and referrals
Accredited specialists: search the Law Society of NSW Find a Lawyer service for an accredited specialist in personal injury law
Sydney car accident law: common questions
How long do I have to make a CTP claim in NSW?
Lodge your claim within 28 days of the crash to get weekly payments backdated to the day after it. The usual limit is 3 months. A later claim needs a full and satisfactory explanation and generally must still be made within 3 years. Report the crash to police within 28 days too, unless police came to the scene. A claim for damages, a lump sum, must be made within 3 years.
Can I claim if the accident was my fault?
In most cases, yes. Most people injured can claim statutory benefits whoever was at fault, though not an at fault driver of an uninsured vehicle. But if you were wholly or mostly at fault they generally stop after 52 weeks. You can claim damages if someone else was at least partly at fault and your injury is more than a threshold injury, reduced by your share of the blame. Lifetime Care for severe injuries doesn't depend on fault.
What is a threshold injury?
Mostly soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash, and psychological injuries that aren't a recognised psychiatric illness, or are acute stress disorder or adjustment disorder. It depends on the diagnosis, not your symptoms. Benefits for a threshold injury last up to 52 weeks, and you can't claim damages for one. If you disagree with the insurer's decision, ask for an internal review within 28 days.
When can I claim a lump sum?
If someone else was at least partly at fault and your injury is more than a threshold injury. The claim must be made within 3 years of the crash, and within 2 years if you want weekly payments to continue past 2 years. Damages for pain and suffering need impairment of more than 10%.
What if the other driver didn't stop or wasn't insured?
You can claim through the Nominal Defendant, which SIRA manages. Claim within 28 days of the crash to get weekly payments from the day after it. A NSW CTP insurer manages the payments on the Nominal Defendant's behalf.
What happens if the insurer rejects part of my claim?
Ask the insurer for an internal review within 28 days of its decision. If you're still unhappy, the Personal Injury Commission can decide the dispute through a merit review, a medical assessment or, for damages, a claims assessment.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim?
Not always. CTP Assist can help with a statutory benefits claim, and the CTP Legal Advisory Service gives free advice on one. For a damages claim, or a dispute at the Personal Injury Commission, it's worth getting a lawyer's advice. Legal costs in CTP claims are capped by regulation, and NSW lawyers can't take a percentage of your compensation.
