What do I do if I am unhappy with a decision made by ACC?
You can ask for the decision to be reviewed. It is very important that you do not delay if you decide to review a decision. ACC are only required to accept reviews that are lodged with them within 3 months of the date of the decision that you are unhappy about.
What happens if I do not seek a review within 3 months of the date of the decision that I am unhappy with?
Only in very limited circumstances can ACC accept a late application for Review. Generally an application for review will not be accepted outside the 3 month time limit. If the decision that you want to review is more than 3 months old you need to seek a review without further delay. As this is going to be a more complicated process I strongly suggest that you seek advice.
What happens after I lodge an application for review?
You will hear from Dispute Resolution Services ltd (DRSL), a subsidiary of ACC that was formed to provide dispute resolution services for ACC. DRSL will first consider if your dispute with ACC can be resolved without the need for a hearing by some other method of dispute resolution for example mediation. If a hearing is necessary DRSL is required to set a date for the hearing of your application for review within 3 months.
What is a Review Hearing like?
A Review hearing is relatively informal .You will meet with the Reviewer in a meeting room. DRSL has 25 meeting rooms around New Zealand in which it regularly holds hearings. The hearing is not open to the public. Both you and ACC’s representative will have the opportunity to tell the Reviewer about the disputed decision, and why you agree or disagree with it.
Who is the Reviewer?
A reviewer is an employee of or contractor for DRSL. He or she is usually legally trained and is required by law to act independently.
Can I represent myself at a review Hearing?
Yes you can, however I would recommend that you seek advice. Having a competent representative or advocate in my opinion will make the process less stressful, and should improve your chance of success.
Can you represent me if I live in another part of New Zealand to you?
Yes. We can communicate by telephone, letter, email, and telephone conference. Distance between you and your representative should not be a barrier to effective representation. A great number of all ACC reviews are held by telephone conference with one or more of the parties not being physically present in the hearing room. This is a very cost effective way of having the representative of your choice.