How to Make an ACC Claim

Overview

Making an ACC claim is generally straightforward. There are several pathways depending on how and where you were injured. All claims are free — you will not be charged for lodging a claim.

Pathway 1: Via Your Doctor (Most Common)

If you seek treatment from a GP, physiotherapist, or other registered health professional, they can lodge an ACC claim on your behalf. This is the most common pathway.

1. Visit your GP, physio, or emergency department after an accident.
2. The health professional assesses your injury and determines if it's accident-related.
3. They submit the claim online via ACC's eClaim system — you sign a treatment form.
4. ACC processes the claim, usually within 24–48 hours.
5. If approved, your treatment costs are covered and you receive a claim number.

Pathway 2: Online via MyACC

You can lodge a claim online directly through the MyACC portal.

1. Log in or register at my.acc.co.nz (you need a RealMe login).
2. Select "Make a claim" and follow the prompts.
3. Provide details about the accident — when, where, how it happened.
4. ACC may ask you to see a health professional to confirm the injury if needed.

Pathway 3: Via Your Employer (Workplace Injuries)

If you are injured at work, your employer should help with the claim process.

1. Report the injury to your employer immediately.
2. Your employer records it in their workplace injury register.
3. You see a doctor who lodges the claim. The doctor will indicate it's a work-related injury.
4. Your employer must keep your job open and work with ACC on your return to work.

If your employer does not assist, you can still lodge the claim yourself through MyACC or via your doctor.

Pathway 4: Phone or Email

You can call ACC on 0800 101 996 to lodge a claim over the phone. ACC can also send you a paper claim form if you prefer.

What Happens After You Claim?

• ACC assesses cover using the criteria in the Accident Compensation Act 2001.
• If approved, you'll receive a letter or email confirming your claim number.
• ACC also notifies your health provider that treatment is funded.
• If declined, you'll receive reasons and information on how to apply for a review.

Time Limits

You should lodge a claim as soon as possible. In general, you can lodge a claim at any time after an injury, but delays may make it harder to prove the injury was accident-related. For sexual abuse claims, there is no time limit.

What Happens After Your Claim Is Approved

Once ACC accepts cover, you receive a claim number and a case manager for anything beyond simple treatment. For straightforward injuries, your health provider bills ACC directly — GP visits and physio sessions for the covered injury should be free (tell the receptionist it is an ACC visit). If your injury keeps you off work, weekly compensation (80% of pre-injury earnings, subject to the maximum) starts after the one-week stand-down for non-work injuries — your employer pays your normal wages for that first week, or you use sick or annual leave. ACC also assesses whether you need rehabilitation support, home help, or aids and appliances. Keep your claim number handy and update ACC if your contact details or employment change.

If Your Claim Is Declined

A decline is not the end of the road. ACC must give you written reasons, and you have 3 months from the date of the decision to apply for a review — an independent process where a reviewer (not an ACC employee) hears both sides. You can represent yourself, bring a support person, or use a free ACC advocate or Community Law. Most successful reviews hinge on medical evidence, so ask your GP or specialist for a report that directly addresses why the injury is accident-related. If the review goes against you, you can appeal to the District Court within 28 days, then to the High Court on questions of law. Roughly a third of ACC claims involve some dispute — the system expects you to push back when the decision is wrong.

Practical Claim Tips

• Lodge quickly: there is no strict deadline for most claims, but delays make it harder to prove the injury was accident-related.
• Be specific: describe exactly how, when and where the injury happened — ACC's cover test is "personal injury caused by accident".
• Keep records: photos, witness details, and a timeline protect you if the claim is queried later.
• Treatment injuries count: injuries caused by medical treatment (including delayed diagnosis complications) are coverable — tell your doctor if a treatment made things worse.
• Work injuries: report to your employer immediately and keep their injury register entry — it supports both your claim and your employment rights.

Work Injury or Not: Why It Changes Your First Week

The single most consequential fact about your claim is whether the injury happened at work, because it decides who pays you during the first seven days:

• Injury at work: your employer must pay you 80% of your usual pay for the first week (7 calendar days) from the date of injury. They cannot require you to use sick leave for that period, and they cannot make you take annual leave instead.
• Injury outside work: there is no employer obligation. You and your employer can agree that you use sick leave or annual leave, or you take the time unpaid, until ACC payments start.
• ACC weekly compensation normally begins on day 8. If that creates a gap you cannot cover, ask your recovery team about the options before the pay cycle catches up with you.
• Top-ups are allowed by agreement. An employer can lift first-week compensation from 80% to 100% by reducing your sick leave entitlement by one day for every five days covered — this must be agreed, not imposed.

What Happens in the First 48 Hours

Most claims are lodged electronically by your treating clinician during the first appointment — the GP or physio completes the ACC45 injury claim form and submits it. But you should:

• Keep every appointment confirmation, receipt and letter, and note the claim number in one place.
• Tell the treating provider about your job and your usual duties, because that shapes the medical certificate and the work capacity noted on it.
• Ring 0800 101 996 if you have heard nothing within about a week, or register for MyACC to track the claim and apply for weekly compensation online.

Common Reasons Claims Are Declined

• No accident event — the injury developed gradually with no identifiable moment of cause. Gradual process claims exist but need a work-task history to support them.
• Pre-existing condition — ACC accepts that the underlying degeneration was there, but not that the accident caused the current problem. This is the most litigated issue in the scheme.
• Not covered by the scheme at all — illness, disease, and mental injury that is not the result of a covered physical injury or of sexual abuse fall outside ACC.

A decline is not the end of the matter. You have three months to apply for an independent review, and many declines are overturned once better medical evidence is on file.