Impairment benefits
TAC impairment benefits: making sure your assessment reflects your injuries
A low impairment assessment can mean a lump sum that doesn't match what you're actually living with. We check the numbers before you accept them.
The basics
What is a TAC impairment benefit?
A TAC impairment benefit is a one-off lump sum paid for permanent physical or psychological impairment caused by a transport accident. It's assessed using a Whole Person Impairment percentage, with a minimum of 11% required to qualify, and it's available regardless of who was at fault.
What's included
How we handle your assessment
Independent medical assessment
We arrange an assessment from a specialist who isn't tied to the TAC's own process, so the figure reflects your injuries rather than the minimum the scheme is willing to pay.
Challenging a low assessment
If the TAC's figure doesn't match what you're actually dealing with, we lodge a dispute and put the medical evidence behind it.
Serious injury applications
Where your impairment is severe enough to also open the door to a common law claim, we prepare that application alongside your impairment benefit claim.
Working with your treating specialists
We stay in contact with the doctors already treating you, rather than relying only on a one-off assessment that might miss how your condition has actually progressed.
Disputing your assessment
When and how you can dispute an assessment
An impairment assessment isn't final just because the TAC has issued it.
You can raise a dispute if the assessed percentage doesn't reflect your injuries, if a new or worsening condition wasn't accounted for, or if the assessment was based on incomplete medical information. Disputes generally go through an informal review first, and if that doesn't resolve it, on to VCAT. As with most TAC decisions, there's a 12-month window from becoming aware of the decision to lodge a dispute, so it's worth acting sooner rather than later.
How we help
Getting the number right matters
Receiving an impairment benefit doesn't affect your other TAC entitlements or a future common law claim, so there's little downside to making sure the figure is accurate the first time.
FAQs
Impairment benefits: what people ask us
It's based on a Whole Person Impairment percentage, assessed by a medical professional against a standard set of criteria. The minimum threshold is 11%, and the lump sum increases with the severity of the impairment. Figures are indexed annually, so it's worth checking the current range with us directly.
Think your assessment is too low?
A free, no-obligation conversation is the fastest way to find out.