TAC – what is covered & how to claim

If you’ve been injured in a transport accident, you may be eligible to claim some of your expenses through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). In this article we’ll give you a quick overview of the role of the TAC, what’s covered, and how to claim.

What is the TAC?

The TAC is a Victorian Government-owned organisation. It has been set up to pay for treatment and benefits for people who have been injured in transport accidents. The TAC also promotes road safety and works to improve Victoria’s trauma system.

What’s covered by TAC?

The TAC is a no-fault scheme. That means that regardless of who caused a crash or transport accident, the TAC can support you with medical and rehabilitation costs. In some instances, they can also offer income support.

Individuals who have been charged with drink-driving, or other criminal offences may not be eligible for support or payments.

If you’ve been in a vehicle accident, the TAC may cover you for the following services:

• Allied Health and physical therapies (treatments to help you move better, relieve pain or improve function)
• Hospital treatment
• Ambulance services
• Medical services / doctor appointments
• X-rays and scans
• Surgery
• Medication
• Basic equipment
• Community nursing
• Dental services
• Rehabilitation services
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Travel and accommodation
• Support for family members

How to claim TAC

The TAC website outlines how you may lodge a claim. Before you go online to lodge your claim, it’s a good idea to get the following information in order:

• Accident details – write down the location, circumstances and injuries that you incurred from the accident.
• Details of the vehicles involved. This includes taking note of the registration numbers of all involved vehicles and the names of the occupants.
• Contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident.
• Did the police attend? If so, provide details of their attendance or date reported to police including the officer’s names and the police station.
• For public transport accidents, you will be asked to provide:
  • Name of the public transport operator
  • Name of the person at the public transport operator that the accident was reported to
  • Name of the public transport driver
  • Accident details including vehicle number, location, route of travel, date and time of travel
• The name of the health professional you have seen for the injuries you received in your accident.
• Employment/income details if you have had more than five days off work due to the accident.
• Your bank details

Once you have the above information in order, you can call the TAC on 1300 654 329. The TAC will record the details and the information you provide will be used to assess your claim. You will also be sent a Claim for Compensation Summary. This summary contains the information you have provided to the TAC. The TAC will also give you a claim number to refer to when you deal with them.

Once you have received your Claim for Compensation Summary, you will need to check that all the information is correct. If you find a mistake, you can call the TAC directly. You don’t need to send the summary back to the TAC.

The next step is to complete the Authority to Release information form. This authority form allows the TAC to obtain any records or information that may affect your claim. This is an important form, as without it, the TAC may not be able to determine your entitlements and you may not be able to access benefits and treatment.

Once your claim is assessed, the TAC will write to you and let you know if your claim has been accepted.

What’s next?

Mobility Aids Australia offer mobility aids for hire and purchase that may be useful to you while you recover from your car or transport accident.

This article is sponsored by Independence Australia, a social enterprise that provides choices for people living with a disability or other personal need, enabling them to regain and retain their independence within a supportive community.

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