Compulsory third party insurance (CTP) insurance is the mandatory type of car insurance that covers injuries on the roads.
It works differently in each state. In South Australia, it’s known as the Motor Accident Injury Assessment Scheme (MAIS).
How the MAIS works
A portion of your car registration fees go towards your CTP insurance. This portion is then paid to one of four different approved insurers. It will either be:
You’ll automatically be assigned to one of them when registering a car, or renewing registration.
If your driving is responsible for a passenger, pedestrian, cyclist or other road-user suffering injury, whichever insurer you’ve been assigned to will pay out, to the injured party.
Conversely, if another motorist is responsible for your injuries, then their automatically assigned insurer will pay a claim to you.
It will not cover injuries to a driver who is entirely at fault for an accident. Generally, it’s only for “victims” and not “culprits.”
How much does it pay out?
MAIS-approved medical practitioners will consider the extent of the injuries, and reach a figure with the insurers. That’s the compensation amount.
It should include necessary medical expenses, future special care costs and appropriate compensation for things like loss of income and general loss.
What if a driver doesn’t have CTP insurance?
It’s included in the registration costs, so a car without CTP insurance in SA is probably driving unregistered too. Traffic cameras can detect this.
If an uninsured driver injures someone, then there compensation may need to come from other schemes, or be paid directly from the at fault driver through a court-order or other processes.
What other cover do I need?
CTP insurance and the MAIS generally doesn’t cover any kind of property or vehicle damage.
For that, you will need additional car insurance. This isn’t mandatory, but is probably a good idea.
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Andrew Munro was the global cryptocurrency editor at Finder. During his time he covered all aspects of cryptocurrency and the blockchain. Before he became cryptocurrency editor, he was a content writer for Finder covering various topics over his nearly 5 years in the role. Prior to joining Finder he was a web copywriter. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales.
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