What is the TAC?

The Transport Accident Commission, or TAC, is a Victorian government owned body that manages all insurance injuries related to motor-vehicle accidents.

They also promote road safety and you will likely be familiar with their advertisements promoting road safety.

Finally, the also fund road safety improvements such as replacing unsafe intersections with roundabouts.

The TAC commenced in 1987.

Unlike the Victorian WorkCover scheme, the TAC itself handles nearly all claim and legal work related to TAC claims.

This means they are not for the most part hiring external lawyers to perform legal work on their behalf.

They have their own claims management team which manages weekly payments and medical like expenses.

They have their own impairment team which manage no fault in payment claims.

They have their own common law team which manage all of the common law claims, and the associated serious injury applications.

The TAC is funded through the insurance premiums we all pay when we pay our registration fees for our vehicles.

If you look at your rego bill, you will see that a significant proportion goes to the TAC.

The three fees you pay are a registration charge, TAC charge and insurance duty.

The TAC invests some of this money and retains the rest to pay for medical and like expenses, weekly payments, impairment benefits and common law settlements.

The TAC does not pay for property damage in motor vehicle accidents.

For example, if another driver goes through a red light and runs into your car, you will have a claim with the TAC for any injuries that you suffer from the accident, but you will not be able to receive any payment for damage or loss related to your vehicle or items inside your vehicle.

Any compensation for property damage must be sought directly from the negligent party or their insurance.

When you sue someone at common law for your injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident, the TAC will insure the driver or negligent party.

This means that any damages paid to you will not come from the negligent party directly, but from the TAC.

Only in situations where the vehicle was unregistered or in other special circumstances would the TAC consider trying to recover any damages payable to an injured person from the negligent party.

As it is a government body, all decisions they make are reviewable.

You should speak to a lawyer if you need help challenging a decision.

The TAC is there to help people that have been in motor vehicle accidents.

It is one of their major reasons for existence.

So if you are injured in a transport accident, no matter if the injuries are minor or serious, you should be lodging a claim with the TAC.