Oct 26, 2026 · 7 min · 5 segments
A lawyer who's specialised in ACC claims for nearly 30 years says it's tougher than ever to get compensation and treatment costs paid. Wellington lawyer Hazel Armstrong is worried about the way ACC is…
Hazel ArmstrongGuest
John CampbellHost
Well, I'm with the GP that I think that they're in a squeeze right now, but I actually represent claimants.
And what happens for them is that they find it hard to get an appointment with the GP.
And then when they do get to the GP, the GP's got very little time to spend with them.
And so the GP takes the line of least resistance and says, well, I think this is an accident and you've got a strain.
And that might come back to bite the claimant because it could be a much more complex issue than that.
But the GP hasn't had the time to write fully the notes that are required to back up their claim.
And in my view, it is getting tougher and tougher for claimants to get claims accepted particularly if they're complex claims which is what the GP that you interviewed is suggesting would have been a sensitive claim probably or a mental injury claim that's complex and those claims and work-related graduate process claims are very difficult to prove and the GP doesn't have the time to back their patient now so in the past You could form quite good relationships with your GP and they would back you.
Well, I'm with the GP that I think that they're in a squeeze right now, but I actually represent claimants.
And what happens for them is that they find it hard to get an appointment with the GP.
And then when they do get to the GP, the GP's got very little time to spend with them.
And so the GP takes the line of least resistance and says, well, I think this is an accident and you've got a strain.
And that might come back to bite the claimant because it could be a much more complex issue than that.
But the GP hasn't had the time to write fully the notes that are required to back up their claim.
And in my view, it is getting tougher and tougher for claimants to get claims accepted particularly if they're complex claims which is what the GP that you interviewed is suggesting would have been a sensitive claim probably or a mental injury claim that's complex and those claims and work-related graduate process claims are very difficult to prove and the GP doesn't have the time to back their patient now so in the past You could form quite good relationships with your GP and they would back you.
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