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Review ACC's decision

What’s a review?

Under New Zealand law, ACC customers have protections. One of these is the right to challenge any decision that ACC has made on your claim or levy invoice. The Accident Compensation Act 2001 entitles you to have a decision reviewed by someone outside of ACC. You apply to ACC to ask for a review and under this Act, they must arrange for your review to be allocated to an independent reviewer. Fair Way have been providing independent ACC review services for over 20 years,  so we are experts in this field.

If you believe a decision ACC made about your claim was unfair, one of our independent reviewers can reconsider the decision.  

An independent reviewer will start by putting ACC’s decision to one side, then they take a fresh look at your claim using information you and ACC provide. The reviewer considers your claim, the evidence, and any submissions from both you and ACC. They then consider the ACC legislation against all that information and evidence.

The reviewer makes a decision in your favour or ACC’s, no longer than a month after the hearing. Sometimes the reviewer may decide further investigation is needed and they will direct ACC to look into your claim again. 

It’s important to understand that our reviewers are independent and impartial – they aren’t on your side, or ACC’s. Their job is to find the fair way through the dispute.
 

The ACC review process

  • Arrange a review

    You apply to ACC and ask for an independent review by Fair Way. This application must be within three months of ACC making its initial decision.

    Under the Act, if they cannot resolve the matter directly with you, ACC must arrange for your review to be allocated to an independent reviewer.

    ACC will send us your details and schedule a time for your case conference. 

    Book appointment
    Apply to ACC

  • Find out more

    A Fair Way Resolution Coordinator contacts you to talk about the review process, answer any questions and make arrangements for you. Let us know if you have any disability, cultural or language needs so we can accommodate them. 

    Chat with us

  • Case conference

    A case conference is a short meeting with the Fair Way reviewer who will hear your application. Understanding the process and being prepared is important, so this case conference helps define the issues, agree next steps and confirm timeframes. At this point, the reviewer may recommend conciliation as an alternative to a review. 

    Conference

  • Prepare

    To get ready for the review, you’re encouraged to gather and prepare information to support your claim. We ask you to provide copies of any evidence and relevant medical reports, and to make a submission about why you think ACC’s decision is wrong. 

    Prepare process
    Free submission builder tool

  • Review hearing

    The hearing can be held online or in person at one of our eight regional locations around the country. This is an opportunity for the reviewer to ask questions of you and ACC to better understand your positions. The reviewer may ask you to further discuss your submission.

    Adjudication Arbitration Review

  • Decision

    The reviewer issues a written decision within 28 days of the hearing. The decision could be to accept or reverse ACC’s decision, or to request that ACC looks into your case again. The reviewer’s decision is binding, but either party can appeal the decision to the District Court.

    Agreement decision

The review is free

Under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, ACC is responsible for covering the costs to have a review.

It’s free to have your decision reviewed. But extra costs can come up, so let your reviewer know if you face extra costs as they can consider these as part of their decision. Under the ACC legislation, a reviewer can award contributions towards some additional expenses incurred during the review process. 

For example, these may include contributions towards: 

  • legal fees – if you use a lawyer or an advocate to represent you at the hearing
  • medical reports – the cost of providing medical report for your hearing
  • travel – if you must travel to the review hearing
  • other expenses – such as photocopying, childcare, telephone charges or time away from work.

Find more information in the Accident Compensation (Review Costs and Appeals) Amendment Regulations 2017, or contact us on 0800 77 44 14.

Where hearings take place

ACC review hearings usually take place online using Zoom. In-person hearings can sometimes be arranged at eight regional locations around New Zealand. If you have any questions about attending online or in-person, please get in touch.

Online hearings

  • Online hearings

  • We email you

    We will email information on how to join your Zoom meeting.

     

     

    Join the Zoom meeting

    Click on the meeting link provided in our email.
    Or go to fairwayresolution.zoom.us, click ‘Join’ and enter your Meeting ID number (provided in our email).

Additional support

  • You are welcome to include others in your ACC dispute process.

    • Friends and family – you can authorise someone you trust to act for you.
    • Representatives – you can appoint an advocate or legal representative.
    • Navigation services – Way Finders and Workplace Injury Advocacy Service (WIAS) can help you navigate ACC and understand your options.
       

  • Extra assistance

    Fair Way is committed to accessibility and meeting diverse needs. We do our best to make the process as easy as possible for everyone to participate. If you have any special requirements, or if we can provide cultural or language support, please let us know as soon as possible so we can make suitable arrangements. 

    Read more

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