All motor vehicles and motorcycles registered in South Australia have compulsory insurance to cover the driver of a motor vehicle or rider of a motorcycle if they should cause an accident which injures somebody.
If you are injured by the negligence of someone driving a motor vehicle or riding a motorcycle, you can bring legal action against them for compensation.
The claim will be handled by the South Australian Motor Accident Commission (MAC) and their appointed insurers, Allianz.
You may be injured:
- as a pedestrian;
- as a cyclist;
- while driving or a passenger in a motor vehicle;
- as a motorcycle rider or pillion passenger.
As long as someone else was at fault, then you can make a claim.
Making a claim is reasonably complicated, and MAC and their appointed insurers have recently been granted a lot of investigative powers, which can be daunting to people who do not understand the system.
We have been running claims for South Australians injured in motor vehicle accidents for 30 years.
We understand the issues that confront people injured in motor vehicle accidents, and the impact on their lives.
We understand the need for feedback and support.
We understand the system, how it works, and what is required to maximise your damages (compensation) and how to assess your losses, both in the short term and long term.
At your first consultation (which is free if you do not wish to proceed with us) we will walk you through what to expect as your injuries recover and your claim proceeds.
You need to know that there are time limits when making a claim, the most important of which is that any legal proceedings must be issued within 3 years of the date of your injury.
Generally speaking, the sooner you obtain legal advice and assistance, the sooner we can start to reduce your stress levels arising from your injury and possible loss of income.
When we make a claim, we can claim for:
- your pain and suffering up until the time of settlement and into the future;
- any loss of income and any loss of ability to earn an income both in the period leading up to settlement and into the future;
- medical and travel expenses;
- any assistance given to you by close relatives or paid for by you.
These are the main areas in which we can claim, but there are other things we can consider such as future medical costs.