Corfu Car Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation – Free Advice Road Accidents
On this page, you will find a guide to making a compensation claim following a car accident in Corfu. It covers all of the important information that you will need to firstly deal with the accident and its aftermath, and secondly, to prepare for making a claim once you return to the UK.
Once you reach the end of this guide, you may still have some unanswered questions, or require some extra information. If so, please speak to one of the Legal Expert team on 0800 073 8804. They will be happy to help you in any way they can.
Select A Section:
- A Compensation Claim Guide For Victims Of Car Accidents In Corfu
- Useful Numbers In An Accident Or Emergency Situation
- Hospitals And Healthcare For Tourists In Corfu
- What To Do If You Are Injured In A Car Accident In Corfu
- What To Do If You Are Taken Ill Or Have An Accident Abroad
- Recording And Reporting Car Accidents In The Greek Islands
- I Suffered Whiplash, Can I Claim Compensation?
- What Can You Claim For After A Car Accident In Corfu?
- Compensation Calculator For Injuries From A Car Accident In Corfu No Win No Fee Greek Islands Car Accident Claims
- How We Can Help Claim For A Car Accident In Europe
- Contact Us
- Further Guides For People Injured On Holiday In Greece And The Greek Islands
A Compensation Claim Guide For Victims Of Car Accidents In Corfu
Car accident claims Corfu
In the sections below, you will find a detailed guide to both dealing with a road traffic accident whilst overseas, and also making a compensation claim for it when you get back to the UK. The guide begins by offering advice and information for dealing with the accident at the scene, and getting the medical treatment you might need. It also covers the reasons why you might have to report the accident to the police, and also a number of steps you can take to give your claim the best chance of success.
The second part of this guide pertains to the claim itself. We provide key facts, such as a table outlining typical compensation amounts for a range of injuries, and also a list of the most common types of damages that your compensation settlement could be made up of.
The last part of this guide will introduce the national accident and injury claims service that Legal Expert operates. This service is available all across the UK, and is, we believe, the simplest, most effective way for you to have your claim processed in a risk-free manner. If you need more information about our service, or are ready to begin making your claim today, then please speak to one of our team at the end of this guide.
The Corfu Personal Injury Claims Time Limit
| Claim Circumstances | Time Limit |
|---|---|
| Personal injury (RTA) related | 2-years under strict liability. |
| Personal injury (RTA) related | 5-years maximum generally. |
Useful Numbers In An Accident Or Emergency Situation
As you can see from the graph above, Greece is one of the most dangerous countries to drive in. If you are involved in a car accident in Europe while visiting Corfu, you need to be able to contact the emergency services. There is some good news here, as Greece has provided a unified emergency services number on 112. This is pretty much a European standard these days. You can use any phone, even one with a UK SIM card to call 112. When you do, you will get straight through to an operator who will be able to speak English. You will then give the details of your accident to this operator, and they will dispatch any emergency services that they feel are needed. You can still contact the emergency services directly, using these numbers on Corfu:
- 166 – for an ambulance.
- 100 – for a general emergency.
- 171 – for the tourist police.
- 199 – for the fire service.
- 1033 – for the police.
There is some more information related to contacting the emergency services in Greece, at this link:
How to contact the emergency services in Greece
Hospitals And Healthcare For Tourists In Corfu
One of the possible answers to the question, I have sustained an injury abroad what to do? Is that you will need to be able to get the medical attention you need, when you need it. Luckily, Greece is a member of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme. This means that as a UK citizen with a valid EHIC card, you will receive emergency medical treatment to the same level as a Greek person would. However, it is important to note that on the islands, medical care is generally not as good as on the mainland. In certain circumstances, you will need to be moved to a larger mainland medical facility to be treated.
You also need to be aware of the fact that your EHIC isn’t going to cover you for anything other than emergency treatment, and certain standard medical procedures. It won’t cover the treatment of existing medical conditions, allow you access to outpatient care, or for other forms of medical treatment such as dental work. You would need to pay for the cost of this kind of treatment yourself, unless you have a valid health insurance policy that will pay for the medical treatment for you. If you do have to pay out of your own pocket, you could attempt to claim back the cost as part of your compensation settlement.
You can find additional information about EHIC and getting medical treatment as a UK citizen visiting Corfu, at this link:
NHS information on Corfu medical care
What To Do If You Are Injured In A Car Accident In Corfu
If you have been involved in a vehicle collision overseas, there are a number of things you should do, to make sure you have fulfilled all of the legal requirements. These include:
- Contact the police (not always a requirement, see the section lower down for more info).
- Get your documentation ready to show the police, and to exchange with the other drivers involved, this includes:
- Your driving licences.
- The vehicle registration document.
- Your insurance details.
- Do not agree to liability unless the accident was your fault.
- Attempt to amicably resolve how the accident happened, and have the liable party admit their fault.
Taking steps such as these cover you legally. They are a requirement, and can’t be skipped over. Be very careful, and never comment on being liable in any way unless you clearly were. It would be difficult to retract your comments at a later stage.
What To Do If You Are Taken Ill Or Have An Accident Abroad
If you have been involved in a car accident with a foreign vehicle, the previous sections have given you the information you needed to deal with the accident. In this section, we will cover the kinds of actions you can take, that will help to pave the way for making a compensation claim when you get home. Actions such as:
- Using your smartphone, take photographs of the scene of the accident, the number plates of all vehicles involved, and any other photographic evidence you feel might be useful.
- Ask the local police to give you the incident number for the accident.
- Ask witnesses to the accident for their contact details. This is so that your solicitor can contact them if needed at a later stage.
- Visit the hospital to have your injuries checked. Do this even if you think they don’t need treatment. Repeat this step once you return to the UK and visit a UK hospital.
Steps like these will leave an official record of your accident and the injuries you suffered. When you return to the UK, contact Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of this guide. One of our team will be happy to talk you through our new claims process, so we can get your claim started right away.
Recording And Reporting Car Accidents In The Greek Islands
If whilst visiting the Greek islands, you have been involved in a road traffic accident abroad, you should report the accident to the police. Even though in some cases you don’t need to, we recommend that you do anyway, so there is an official record of the accident. This will help when making your claim. In some circumstances, you are legally obligated to contact the police and ask them to come to the scene of the accident, in situations such as:
- One of the drivers involved in the accident drives off, or won’t exchange details with you.
- There is some contention over how the accident happened, what caused it, and who was responsible.
- People have been killed or injured.
- One of the drivers involved in the accident appears to be drunk or under the influence of drugs.
- The accident has caused damage to Government property such as street lamps, road signs, or safety barriers.
Remember, in these circumstances contacting the police is not optional. You are legally obligated to call them to the scene of the accident. If you do not, then you could end up being prosecuted.
I Suffered Whiplash, Can I Claim Compensation?
Whiplash injuries are the most common of all injuries claimed for in road traffic accident claims. Over £2 billion worth of whiplash claims are made in the UK every year. These claims cost motor insurance firms so much, that they add on average £150 to every motor insurance policy in the country.
Whiplash is non-specific injury, meaning a doctor cannot point at one symptom and say that it is the cause. Instead, whiplash is caused by a number of generalised symptoms. This aspect of a whiplash injury has led to it being used as a basis for fraudulent claims in the past. Because of this, all whiplash claims are now looked at very closely. We recommend that you have an independent medical examination, so that the medical report produced can be submitted as evidence of your whiplash injury. Legal Expert can help with this. If you call us on the number at the end of the page, one of our team will be able to arrange an appointment for a free local medical examination for you. You may also like to read this information from the NHS, related to neck injuries:
NHS information on neck injuries
What Can You Claim For After A Car Accident In Corfu?
When you make a claim for holiday accident compensation, if you are successful, the settlement that you receive will be made up of a number of different types of damages. Each of these fit within the overall categories of general damages for physical harm, and special damages for other losses, financial losses included. Your settlement could comprise of damages such as:
- General damages to compensate for physical harm:
- Lowered quality of life – if your injuries are never going to heal completely, and they will leave you with some form of a permanent disability.
- Painful treatment and recovery – if it will take a long time for your injuries to heal, and you will be subjected to painful treatment for much of this time.
- Psychological injuries – such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or new phobias, caused by the trauma of the accident and living with serious injuries.
- Pain and suffering – if you were subjected to a significant level of pain during the accident, and also whilst you were being given emergency treatment.
- Mental trauma – for the short-term effects of shock following the accident.
- Special damages to compensate for financial and other ad-hoc losses:
- Lowered income potential – if your injuries are going to mean that you cannot work in your old job and will have to take a lower paying one, or if you will not be able to work at all in the future.
- Loss of current earnings – if your injuries forced you to take a period of time away from your work, and you either partially or entirely lost out on your pay because of this.
- Cost of care – if you have needed to pay for a nurse to take care of you at home, or for a cleaner to come in and help you keep your home
- Medical fees – if your injuries required private medical treatment, and you have had to pay for this treatment yourself.
- Travel costs – if you have had to pay to travel to have your injuries treated. Or to deal with any aspect of the claim itself, such as visiting your solicitor or attending court.
Every claim is different, and the types of damages you can claim in your own case will depend on your unique circumstances. However, if you call Legal Expert on the number below and talk to one of our team, they will be able to go over your claim with you, and then tell you what types of damages you could be able to claim.
Compensation Calculator For Injuries From A Car Accident In Corfu
We have not added an online personal injury claims calculator to this page, as they tend to be very inaccurate. Instead, we have created the table below. It is based on the actual judicial guidelines that the UK legal system uses to decide how much a claim should be worth.
| Injury Type | Severity | Compensation | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back injury | Minor to severe | Up to £141,173 | The type of injuries will start at damage to the soft tissue, such as cut, lacerations and burns, through nerve or muscle damage and fractured vertebrae, to entire paralysis of the back. |
| Neck injury | Minor to severe | Up to £130,083 | The type of injuries will start at damage to the soft tissue, such as cut, lacerations and burns, through nerve or muscle damage and fractured vertebrae, to entire paralysis of the neck. |
| Toe injury | Moderate to severe | Up to £49,143 | The type of injuries will start at burns, cuts and bruises, through dislocations, sprains and fractures, to complete loss of one or more toes. |
| Ankle injury | Minor to severe | Up to £61,143 | The type of injuries will start at soft tissue injuries such as scraps and lacerations, through fractures, sprains and nerve damage, to entire paralysis of the ankle. |
| Foot injury | Minor to very severe | Up to £96,143 | The type of injuries will start at bruises, burns, cuts, etc. through sprains, fractures and damage to the nerves of the foot, through to complete amputation of one or both feet. |
| Leg injury | Minor to severe | Up to £119,243 | The type of injuries will start at damage to the tissue of the lag such as laceration and burns, through both simple and compound fractures, and damage to the nerves or muscles, to partial or complete amputation of the leg. |
| Hand injury | Minor to serious | Up to £54,303 | The type of injuries will start at bruises, burns, cuts, etc. through sprains, fractures and damage to the nerves of the hand, through to complete amputation of one or both hands. |
| Wrist injury | Minor to severe | Up to £4,183 | The type of injuries will start at soft tissue injuries such as scraps and lacerations, through fractures, sprains and nerve damage, to entire paralysis of the wrist. |
| Arm injury | Moderate to severe | Up to £114,833 | The type of injuries will start at damage to the tissue of the lag such as laceration and burns, through both simple and compound fractures, and damage to the nerves or muscles, to partial or complete amputation of the arm. |
| Finger injury | Minor to severe | Up to £21,943 | The type of injuries will start at burns, cuts and bruises, through dislocations, sprains and fractures, to complete loss of one or more fingers. |
| Thumb injury | Minor to severe | Up to £48,043 | The type of injuries will start at burns, cuts and bruises, through dislocations, sprains and fractures, to complete loss of one or both thumbs. |
As we said above, we haven’t provided an accident abroad compensation calculator. If you want an estimate of how much you may be able to claim, speak to one of the Legal Expert team on the number below today.
No Win No Fee Greek Islands Car Accident Claims
Legal Expert can act as your personal injury lawyer, and we can do so under a No Win No Fee agreement. We offer our accident and injury claims service nationally, to everyone across the UK. When you use this service, there is no fee to start working on your claim for you. There is also no fee while we are processing your claim. And if we don’t get you any compensation at all, then again, there is no fee. When we do win compensation for you, we will deduct our fee out of the settlement we have received on your behalf, and then give you the money left.
How We Can Help Claim For A Car Accident In Europe
Legal Expert is a personal injury solicitor with a proven track record of winning complex accident and injury claims on behalf of our clients. We do everything we can to make sure that your claim is successful, and that you receive the maximum level of compensation possible.
Our team is always available, and are just a phone call away. They will use simple English, with no legal jargon, to answer any questions you have about what we have been doing for you, or to give you an update on the status of your claim.
Top Destinations in Corfu
- Corfu Town
- Paleokastritsa
- Kavos
- Acharavi
- Sidari
- Gouvia
- Benitses
- Kassiopi
- Agios Gordios
- Dassia
Contact Us
Have you been injured in a road traffic accident on one of the Greek islands? DO you think that you have a valid reason to make a personal injury claim? If so, speak to one of the Legal Expert team on 0800 073 8804 today. They will go over your claim with you. Once they know enough to give informed advice, they will let you know what your legal options are, and offer a simple way for you to have your claimed processed.
Further Guides For People Injured On Holiday In Greece And The Greek Islands
British Vice Consulate Corfu
Mantzarou 18
Kerkira 491 00
Greece
Tel: +30 2661 023457
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-vice-consulate-corfu
Opening hours: 9pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
You will find our general guide to making a claim for a holiday accident in Greece, here:
A guide to claiming for a holiday accident in Greece
We also have a Corfu specific guide, here:
A guide to claiming for a holiday accident in Corfu
For a general overview of the holiday claims process, you can check this guide:
