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Belgium Car Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Car Crash In Belgium

By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 12th October 2022. Are you a British national or resident, who has been injured in a car accident in Belgium that was not your fault? If you enquire about making a Belgian car accident claim, you could be entitled to claim compensation through our team. In this guide we will tell you how to start a car accident claim in Belgium to receive damages for your injuries, how you can collect the evidence needed to support your claim and will also tell you how to find the right personal injury solicitor to handle your compensation claim.

Car accident claims Belgium

Car accident claims Belgium

We are Legal Expert, a widely trusted personal injury law firm that is based in Great Britain. We can provide our clients with personal injury solicitors that are based in Great Britain, providing assistance to victims of road accidents abroad in Belgium and elsewhere. As long as you were injured in a car accident abroad and the accident was the fault of another driver, or a third party, then your solicitor can handle your claim, so you can leave the complications of claiming compensation in another country to a professional. Legal Expert’s personal injury solicitors have up to three decades of experience handling claims, and are experienced at handling claims for car accidents abroad. This means that you are in a safe pair of hands. They will always push to get you the best award that they can. As well as representing claimants in their foreign road accident cases, our team will also be responsible for investigating whether or not the compensation payout will come from your own insurance or the insurance of the other driver. What’s more, you will have the option to make a no win no fee compensation claim, which means that you will not have to pay an upfront fee and will only pay your solicitors fee if you win your claim, meaning that there is no financial risk to you.

Many British residents travel to Belgium each year, for holidays, work, or to see friends and relatives amongst other reasons. Most of these visits are trouble free, but unfortunately accidents, including road traffic accidents do happen. Drivers have a duty of care towards other road users. This means that they are obliged to drive in a way that upholds the safety of others who are also on the road. If a driver or another third party is negligent and this causes a road traffic accident, they could be held liable for any injuries caused and have to pay the injured party compensation.

If you have experienced a road accident abroad in Belgium which resulted in you becoming injured, call us today and we will let you know whether or not you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation for your injuries. If you do, we will provide you with an excellent personal injury lawyer and will also let you know how much your car accident claim could be worth. So don’t delay. Call Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 today to speak to one of our informed advisors, and begin your personal injury claims process.

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A Guide To Road Traffic Accident Claims In Belgium

It’s common for British people to travel to Belgium for many reasons including holidays, business travel or to see family and friends. Belgium is a relatively safe country to visit, however, accidents can and do happen, including car accidents in Belgium. In Belgium, drivers have a duty of care towards other road users, which means that if a driver or a third party causes a road traffic accident which injures another person on the road, they may be held liable for their injuries and have to pay them compensation.

We have created this guide on car accident claims in Belgium, to advise people wishing to claim compensation for injuries suffered in a car accident abroad in this country. In this guide we will cover what to do to collect evidence to help your claim if you experience a car accident, how to report your accident, what special damages your claim could include and we explain the benefits of using a no win no fee solicitor to handle your claim. We have also included a personal injury claims calculator in this guide, to give you a rough idea of how much compensation you could claim. To get an accurate estimate of how much your car accident claim is worth, call Legal Expert today. To make your claim, you need to be aware of the relevant time limits. These are;

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Circumstance or type of Claim Time Limit
Package holidays booked through vendor in the UK. 3 years
Holiday’s or flights which were booked privately. 5 years
Flights booked privately from or too these airports:
• Brussels Airport
• Ostend Bruges International Airport
• Antwerp International Airport
• Liege Airport
2 y

Helplines And Emergency Numbers In Belgium

If you are involved in a car crash (or other accident) and you or a member of your party needs emergency assistance from an ambulance, the police or the fire brigade, the emergency services number is 112. Fortunately, Belgium is multi-lingual so calls are taken in French, Dutch and English. They are also sometimes taken in German too. As well as helping a critically injured person, reporting your accident to the emergency services also helps to build evidence to support your claim. This being said however, you should only contact the emergency services in relevant situations.

If you require emergency diplomatic services, for example if a member of your party has died, been attacked or arrested, then you can contact the British Consulate in Brussels on +32 2 287 62 11.

Emergency Medical Care Tourists In Belgium

At the present time, British citizens are entitled to free healthcare in EU countries. To do so, you need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can apply for a European Health Insurance Card here. However, please be aware that every country in the EU has a different healthcare system, so the healthcare that citizens can get free of charge in one country, may not be as comprehensive as what you can get on the NHS. This is the case in Belgium, where an EHIC will only cover you for emergency treatment. Because of this, we recommend you take out fully comprehensive travel insurance before you travel abroad, so that you can be covered for non emergency treatment. Be prepared to pay upfront, and claim back your costs later. What’s more, travel insurance is recommended for covering the costs of things like repatriation if you are seriously injured and need to be taken home for treatment.

What Steps Should I Take After A Car Crash In Belgium?

If you are involved in a car accident during your stay, you can take the following steps to try to deal with the situation calmly. First of all, try not to panic and if you are safely able to do so, pull across and over to the side of the road to allow other cars to pass you. It is also important that you try to remain calm. You may be badly shaken, but getting angry or frantic may escalate what is already a very difficult situation.

If someone is badly hurt and needs immediate medical assistance, or there is another need for urgent assistance such as a fire, or illegal activity, call 112 to reach the emergency services. If the situation does not call for the emergency services, you should still report the incident to the Police within 24 hours, at the nearest Police Station that you can find. Firstly, the Police will require this information and may need to investigate the crash to establish liability. Second of all, reporting the car crash in Belgium to the Police will serve as evidence to support your car accident claim.

Please make sure that when you speak to the other driver and you are not sure who was at fault don’t say anything like, “I’m sorry”, or “That was my fault”. Whilst it may seem like an automatic response to an accident, your statement could be taken as an admission of liability on your part. Similarly, do not sign anything given to you by the other driver, their insurer or solicitor, without prior consultation and permission from your solicitor.

Car Accident In Europe – What To Do

Following a car accident in Europe, after seeking medical attention and alerting the police if necessary, it’s important that you gather evidence if you hope to pursue a claim at some point in the future.

Here’s what you could do after a car accident in Belgium if you wanted to make a claim:

  • Make detailed notes of what happened
  • Take photographs of the accident scene, including any vehicles involved and their number plates
  • Swap insurance information
  • Ask for the contact information of any witnesses
  • If you are able to, also photograph your injury
  • Retain receipts of any expenses caused by the accident, for example, medication fees or taxi costs if your car was then unusable

If you have been involved in a Belgium crash or a similar accident abroad, our expert solicitors could help you obtain evidence. Get in touch by contacting our advisors.

Reporting A Car Crash In Belgium

You may have to fill out a car accident form in order to make your Belgium car accident claim. You will have to report your car accident to the nearest Belgian police station, you can find details of these at the federal police force website. You will also have to fill out a car accident form when you report your accident to your car insurance provider. Your insurer will ask for details about your vehicle, the injuries you sustained and the nature of your car accident. Being a foreign national, you may also be expected to give your passport number and other details.

Claims For Whiplash In A Car Accident Abroad

A common injury caused by car accidents is whiplash. What is whiplash? Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that can affect the tissues of the upper body, including the muscles in the neck, shoulders and upper back. Whiplash occurs when a traumatic impact causes the neck muscles to be overstretched beyond their usual range of motion. This commonly occurs if one vehicle impacts into another, knocking the driver or passenger’s head back or forward. Whiplash can limit the sufferer’s mobility, and cause severe pain and discomfort. As well as pain, the sufferer’s neck, back and shoulders will usually experience stiffness. Unfortunately, in very extreme cases whiplash can also cause permanent disability. Other symptoms of whiplash include: dizziness, headaches, jaw pain, upper arm weakness and problems with one’s vision.

If you have experienced whiplash because of a car accident that was not your fault, call Legal Expert today, to see if you are entitled to claim holiday accident compensation for your injuries.

What Can I Claim For After A Road Accident In Belgium?

If you experienced a road traffic accident abroad, Legal Expert can provide you with an excellent no win no fee solicitor to handle your car accident claim in Belgium. Your solicitor will be based in Britain but will have plenty of experience handling claims for car accidents abroad.

If you make a successful claim, you will be awarded car accident injury compensation. Your compensation payout will consist of general damages and special damages. We will break down these damages below:

  • General damages: General damages will normally be the largest part of your personal injury claim. You will be awarded compensation for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that your injuries have caused you.
  • Medical expenses: You can claim compensation to reimburse you for any medical treatment or medication you needed as a result of your accident. If you are likely to need further medication in the future, you will be able to claim for these costs as well.
  • Travel expenses: You can claim compensation to reimburse you for any transport you had to take as a result of your injuries, such as a taxi to hospital, or alternative transport you had to take as a result if your injuries meant you were unable to drive for a period of time.
  • Loss of income: If your injuries left you unable to work for a period of time, or worse were so severe that you had to give up work, you can claim for loss of income. If you had to retrain for a new career as a result of your injuries (for example, you had a manual job, which you were physically unable to do because of your injuries) then you could also claim funds to support you during that time.
  • Home adaptation expenses: In cases of extreme injury where you the victim became permanently disabled, your Belgium car accident claim could include funds to cover the cost of any home adaptations or mobility equipment that you needed as a result.
  • Care expenses: If you received at home care from a friend or family member whilst you were recovering from your injuries, you could claim compensation for your injuries. If you permanently require care, you can also claim compensation to cover you ongoing care costs.

Belgium Car Accident Claim Calculator For 2022

If you have been injured due to a car accident in Belgium that was caused by the negligence of another driver, then the compensation you could receive may be awarded under more than one head of claim. The figure that we’re going to concentrate on in this section is called general damages. This amount is awarded to the injured party in line with how severely they have suffered due to their ailments caused by negligence.

If you are a British resident driving abroad, it is likely you received your green card through the MIB. For this reason, if you were injured in an accident caused by negligence, you may need to claim through them as well.

The MIB may value your general damages payment using resources such as medical evidence and a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a publication that contains figures based on past cases that relate to various injuries – both physical and psychological. These figures can be used as a guide and may give you an idea regarding how much your general damages payment could be worth.

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Injury being claimed for Average settlement Other notes:
Severe neck injury Up to roughly £148,330 Severe injury might result in paraplegia and other disability. Such injuries will often get a higher settlement.
Moderate neck injury £7,890 to £38,490 Payouts may be for existing injuries made worse, or for simple fractures. May also include dislocation injuries.
Minor neck injury Up to £7,890 Whiplash and similar forms of soft tissue damage to the neck and surrounding body parts.
Severe back injury £38,780 to £160,980 Higher amounts may be paid for injury to the spine. Severe forms of injury may lead to varying levels disability or overall recovery.
Moderate back injury £12,510 to £38,780 At the bottom of the bracket, settlements are paid out for soft tissue injuries. Higher payments are made for levels of disability.
Minor back injury Up to £12,510 Things affecting the amount of compensation paid out may include variations in the nature and severity of symptoms and their effect on a victim.
Psychological pain and/ or anguish £4,670 May be paid out for situations when someone fears for their death.

Included in your final settlement could be another figure called special damages. This figure relates to monetary losses that you can prove were caused by your injuries. Medical expenses and a loss of earnings can be good examples of this.

Find out more about the potential value of a claim due to a car accident in Belgium by getting in touch with our advisors today.

No Win No Fee Belgian Car Accident And Injury Claims

If you have suffered a road accident abroad in Belgium (which resulted in you becoming injured) that was not your fault, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Legal Expert will give you the option to use a no win no fee personal injury solicitor, which means that there is nothing to pay unless you win your claim. For many of our clients, this is the less stressful option for making your claim. This means that there is no financial risk to you. If you have been injured in a car accident abroad, call Legal Expert today to enquire about making a no win no fee claim. Alternatively, read our online guide to making a no win no fee claim, to learn more.

How Can Legal Expert Help Victims Of Car Accidents Abroad?

If you have been injured in a car accident abroad, or a car accident in Belgium, because of negligence on the part of a third party, you could be entitled make this type of claim. Trust Legal Expert to provide you with the right personal injury lawyer to represent your car accident claim. Your solicitor may be based in Great Britain, making it easier for you to communicate with them, but will be experienced at handling holiday accident compensation claims for car accidents abroad. Our solicitors have up to thirty years of experience handling car accident compensation claims and will always push to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed, so you’re bound to be in good hands. Call Legal Expert today, to see how much compensation you could be entitled to and to begin your claim. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Resources And Further Reading

British Consulate Brussels
Avenue d’Auderghem 10
1040 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: (+32) 2 287 62 11
Website: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-brussels
If you’re in the UK and worried about a British national in Belgium, call 020 7008 1500

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For An Injury In Belgium?
This article looks at more general forms of holiday accident claims, looking at how you could have been injured, and how our specialist team could be able to help you.

Whiplash Compensation Calculator
In this article, we provide an updated look at whiplash claims, and how much victims of this type of injury can claim.

How Much Money For Car Accident Claims?
This is our 2018 update for how much people can be claimed for after a car accident in Great Britain.

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      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.