The holiday season will soon begin, and many Romanians prefer to visit other European countries behind the wheel of their own cars. In the unlikely event that you are involved in an accident on the territory of another state, here is what you must do, according to europa.eu.
If you have an accident while abroad, the law of the country where the accident occurred applies. This means that the compensation procedure could be different from the one in the country of origin.
If you are involved in an accident abroad, do not leave the scene of the accident. Talk to the other driver and, if necessary, call the police and/or emergency services.
Be sure to write down all the necessary information about the other person involved and the circumstances that led to the accident.
Declaration of the accident
Complete the accident scene statement.
Normally, the insurer provides you with a standard document. Some associations of insurers have developed a European accident report form. It will help you quickly collect all the necessary information and facilitate the settlement of claims.
If you do not have a finding form or an insurance form, be sure to write down the following information:
the date and place of the accident
details of possible bodily injury and property damage, information about witnesses (don’t forget to ask for their contact details)
contact details of the other driver (name, address, telephone number)
the contact details of the company where the other driver is insured (including the insurance policy number)
information about the other vehicle, including the trailer, if applicable (registration number and country, make and type)
the contact details of the police station to which the accident was reported
the circumstances of the accident.
If you and the other driver agree on the circumstances of the accident, sign a statement together. This will facilitate compensation procedures.
Careful! Do not assume responsibility for the accident and do not sign the form unless you fully understand it.
If you do not agree, your insurer will settle the dispute with the other driver’s insurer. For this purpose, it will rely on the police report, damage assessment and other information.
To support your claim, you must collect:
photos
witness statements and/or
a police report.
You must report the accident to the insurance company, even if you do not want to claim compensation.
Check if your insurer offers it unlimited coverageespecially for personal injury.
European legislation guarantees you the highest level of cover applicable (see example below).
Accidents involving an uninsured driver
Notify the police if you have an accident involving a driver uninsured or a driver who leave the scene of the accident. You can also get useful advice in these situations from the insurance company.
You can also contact the national compensation body in your country. It can intervene if the other driver’s car is uninsured or if the insurer cannot be identified.
Compensation procedure
If following the car accident you have been injured or suffered loss or damage to propertyyou can claim compensation . You usually need to submit your application within a certain time frame – ask the insurer.
Filing the claim for compensation abroad
You can claim compensation directly from the insurer of the person who caused the accident.
Filing the claim for compensation in the country of origin
You have 2 options:
1. submit the application to headquarters of the representative in your country of the insurer the person who caused the accident.
The claims representative must verify the information and take all necessary steps to negotiate a settlement of your claim. To find out if the insurer in question has representatives in your country, contact the national Green Card offices/information centres.
2. submit the application at the headquarters the national compensation body from your country.
If the insurer from the other EU country does not have a representative in your country, you can apply to the national compensation body. It can help you if the other driver’s car is uninsured or if the insurer cannot be identified.
