Forms
The Motor Accident Insurance and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2019 commenced on 5 December 2019. This legislation made substantial amendments to the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 and the Motor Accident Insurance Regulation 2018. (You can view an up-to-date copy of our legislation online.)
Claimants now need to comply with the new requirements for Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance claims in Queensland, including completing new forms. The new Notice of Accident Claim Form contains an updated version of the Medical Certificate, a new Claimant Certificate, a new Law Practice Certificate and requires claimants who are aged 15 and over to provide a certified colour identity document.
Law Practice Certificates (LPCs)
As a legal practitioner, a law practice certificate (LPC) is required to be signed by the supervising principal and be verified by a statutory declaration.
Please note: To complete and digitally sign the LPC, download and open it using a PDF application (e.g. Adobe Acrobat). Some features may not work if opened directly in your internet browser.
LPCs are required at various stages of the claim process, including:
- when you are retained
- at settlement or judgment
- if the law practice is sold.
The LPC requires legal practitioners to certify that they/their firm have not engaged in car crash scamming (‘claim farming’) activities in relation to the specific claim. Also, if the claim is a speculative claim, that the costs agreement complies with s79 of the amending legislation and the ‘50/50 rule’ under s347 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).
It is an offence not to complete the LPC as and when it is required, and to provide false and misleading information therein. Failure to provide an LPC attracts a maximum penalty of 300 penalty units (currently $50,070 for an individual from 1 July 2025).
In addition to the penalties under the offences, if a law practice does not give an LPC as and when required, the law practice may need to refund, or may not be entitled to recover, fees and disbursements paid in connection with a claim.
More information on when you are required to sign an LPC is available in our Law Practice Certificate Scenarios.
Supervising principal cannot complete LPC due to planned absence
When a supervising principal is the only principal of the law practice and intends to be absent from the law practice and wants to nominate a lawyer for the purpose of complying with s.36C(2)(b) MAIA in the event a Law practice certificate is required to be given, MAIC suggests the principal prepares a document prior to the planned absence (to be sent on any claim to any insurer in the principal’s absence) which:
- is printed on the law practice letterhead
- is addressed to “To whom it may concern”
- covers the requirements in s.36C by stating:
- I am (name of principal) and I am the supervising principal of (the law practice).
- I am the only principal of the law practice.
- I am intending to be absent from the law practice from (insert dates).
- Pursuant to s.36C(2)(b) Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 I nominate another lawyer, (name of lawyer), to give a Law practice certificate on my behalf during my period of intended absence.
- includes both the principal’s signature and the signature of the lawyer who he/she is nominating
- includes the date the document was signed.
Disclaimer: The Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) provides these common scenarios as an information source only. These scenarios are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all scenarios which may occur.
Where MAIC is notified of a suspected non-compliance with respect to the provision of a Law Practice Certificate (LPC) as and when required under the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 (the Act), MAIC will investigate and may prosecute any breach of the LPC provisions under the Act.
Police accident report reference numbers
The Queensland Police Service uses a records management system called the Queensland Police Records and Information Management Exchange, or QPRIME. This system links all occurrences involving a particular individual, location or vehicle. Consequently, any motor vehicle accident reported to the police is allocated a police accident report reference number, replacing the previously issued Traffic Incident Number (TIN) or QPRIME occurrence number.
Reporting of traffic incidents and issuing of police reports
Pursuant to Section 34 of the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994, a person proposing to make a motor vehicle accident claim also has a duty to ensure that appropriate notice of the accident has been given to a police officer.
There is a legal requirement under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 on the driver of a motor vehicle to report to police any accident involving injury.
The form approved by MAIC, the Report of Traffic Incident to Police Form (PDF, 118KB) is not intended for use by drivers in fulfilling their duties under Section 93 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995. Instead it provides a means for potential claimants to lodge an accident report where drivers have failed to comply with Section 93 to report the accident.
The obligation, to report to police incidents involving injury or death has always been with the driver/owner and in this regard Section 34 of the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 does not introduce any duty for a driver which did not previously exist under legislation.
Medico-legal assessment guidelines
View our guidelines for medico-legal assessments.