The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is a New Zealand government agency responsible for administering the country’s universal no-fault accidental injury scheme. The scheme provides financial compensation and support to citizens, residents, and temporary visitors who have suffered personal injuries.
ACC is a no-fault scheme which covers everyone, including visitors, who are injured in an accident in New Zealand. It includes events that result in mass casualties. The scheme covers children, beneficiaries, students, if you’re working, unemployed, or retired.
It is a no-fault cover, meaning they will help out with the costs of an injury no matter how you obtained it or whose fault it was.
What to do if you’re injured
Visit your health provider. This could be your doctor, physiotherapist, local medical centre or emergency department. Your health provider will make a claim. They’ll make sure to fill out all the right forms and will make a claim to us on your behalf.
Pay for part of your appointment. If we cover your injury, we can contribute to part of your appointment to your health provider as set out by the ACC cost of treatment regulations. You’ll need to pay for the rest. Check with your health provider for their fees.
If you have a community services card or are a dependant (14 – 17 years of age) of a community services card holder, you may get a lower-cost visit to your GP. Most GPs will also offer zero-fees for children under 14 years.
We’ll send you a letter to confirm if we cover your injury. This is usually within a week. If we have your mobile number or email address, you may receive information telling you what’s happening with your claim much sooner. If we don’t cover your injury, we’ll let you know why.
What does ACC cover?
Physical injuries we cover
A physical injury is when there is actual damage to your body. This includes:
- sprains or strains – such as ankle, back, knee or shoulder sprains
- wounds – cut, broken or bruised skin
- burns
- fractures
- dislocations
- dental injuries
- hearing loss
- loss of consciousness.
We cover most physical injuries if they’re caused by:
- an accident
- sexual violence
- a condition that comes on gradually because of work.
We can also cover injuries that are long-term, permanent or that happened at birth.
Injuries caused by treatment
Sometimes getting treatment can cause an injury. We can cover a treatment injury if:
- the treatment directly caused your injury
- a registered health professional was treating you
- it’s not a normal side-effect of your treatment.
We can also cover injuries caused by treatment for an injury we’ve already covered.
https://www.acc.co.nz/im-injured/injuries-we-cover/what-we-cover/