If you were hurt in a car accident on the way to or from work in New South Wales, two schemes can be involved: workers compensation and the motor accident scheme. Which one pays depends on the state’s rules, and getting it wrong can cost you time you do not have. Here is how it works in NSW, from the official sources.
Does workers compensation cover the drive to work in NSW?
In NSW a journey to or from work can be covered by workers compensation only where there is a real and substantial connection between your employment and the accident (icare). Some workers, such as police, paramedics and firefighters, do not need that connection.
What about the motor accident scheme?
icare says that if you were injured in a motor accident you may be able to claim through the CTP Green Slip scheme, and that people severely injured travelling between work and home may be covered by Lifetime Care.
The motor accident scheme in NSW: CTP Green Slip scheme, regulated by SIRA.
What to do now
- Make your claim with the CTP insurer of the driver at fault (Legal Aid NSW).
- Act quickly: Legal Aid NSW says the time limits may be 28 days or three months from the date of the accident, depending on the type of claim.
- Keep records: the other driver's details and registration, photos, medical certificates and receipts.
If your employer’s scheme may also be involved:
- Tell your employer as soon as you can. Legal Aid NSW says you must report the injury to your workplace within 30 days.
- See a doctor and get a NSW certificate of capacity. You need one for weekly payments, and each covers up to 28 days.
- Make your claim. icare says claims must be made within 6 months of the injury, or within 3 years if there is a reasonable cause for the delay.
Free official help
- Legal Aid NSW (LawAccess NSW): 1300 888 529
- icare: 13 77 22
- Independent Review Office (IRO): free general advice and access to free legal advice: 13 94 76
- Personal Injury Commission (disputes): 1800 742 679
Find the right lawyer to speak with
Answer a few quick questions. We send you the name and contact details of a law firm that handles this kind of claim in New South Wales, so you can choose to speak with them.
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General information, not legal advice. Claim Done is not a law firm. Checked against the official sources below on 22 October 2026. If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
Official sources
- icare: Work break or journey payments
- icare: Notify us that you have been injured
- icare: Organisations involved in your dispute
- Legal Aid NSW: Workers compensation
- Legal Aid NSW: What to do after a car accident