When your claim settles, the insurer may offer you compensation. The types of compensation you can receive (if any) will depend on your injuries and personal circumstances.

Compensation is based on Part 8 of the Civil Liability Act 1936.

Injury Scale Value (ISV)

Once your injuries are stable, you can undergo an Injury Scale Value (ISV) medical assessment. This helps you and the insurer to understand what types of compensation you may be eligible for.

At the assessment, a medical practitioner will examine you. Afterwards, they will write a report that is used to determine your ISV, a number from 0 to 100.

Different types of compensation

Compensation for:

  • Not being able to work and earn money for more than one week
  • Your injuries impacting your ability to work and earn money in the future.

Find out more about economic loss.

Compensation for:

  • Your pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Disfigurement.

In most cases, you can only receive this if your ISV is 11 or more.

If your ISV is less than 11, the insurer can pay you (or a Court can order) non-economic loss if the consequences of your injuries are exceptional, compared to other cases with similar injuries.

View the maximum amounts that can be received for each ISV.

Compensation for domestic work or care by a family member, beyond what they were doing before the accident.

You may be eligible for this if:

  • Your ISV is 11 or more
  • The services have been (or will be) provided for at least six hours a week, for at least six consecutive months
  • The services have been (or will be) provided by your spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, grandparent or grandchild.

There are limits on how much you can receive for this:

  • The hourly rate cannot be more than a certain amount (refer to the Gratuitous services table)
  • Compensation cannot be more than four times the state average weekly earnings*.

*A Court can order more than this if you reasonably required the service, and you would have had to pay for the service if it wasn't provided by your family member.

Compensation for the impact that your injuries have had on the relationship with your spouse or domestic partner.

Your spouse or domestic partner may be able to claim this if your ISV is 11 or more.