By Jo Jeffries. Last updated 29th November 2021. Welcome to this guide on claiming for a car accident in Italy.
Car accident in Italy claims-guide
Italy is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, and rightly so with its Mediterranean climate, famous cuisine and history stretching back in time through the renaissance all the way back to ancient Rome. The last thing anyone wants to happen while enjoying their trip to this wonderful part of the world is to be injured in a car accident. Being injured in a car accident in Italy would not just ruin your holiday but it could also leave you with severe injuries. This would be a stressful enough situation to be in in the UK, but it could be far harder having to deal with it in a foreign country.
You may be able to claim compensation for being put through an ordeal like this if you are not at fault, a personal injury solicitor could help you claim compensation from the person or third party responsible for your accident, compensation which would cover the financial as well as physical and mental cost the injury inflicted on you.
Making a compensation claim for a car accident may seem difficult and daunting. But Accident Claims UK can provide you with the advice and support you may need. This guide aims to explain how. Note that this guide is specifically for claiming compensation for a car accident in Italy, This isn’t the only guide we have to car accidents outside the UK either, for example here you can find a guide to car accident claims in Holland.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Car Accidents In Italy Compensation Claims
- Cities And Other Destinations To Visit In Italy
- What Should I Do Before Driving In Italy?
- Do You Need Driving And General Travel Insurance?
- What To Do If Involved In A Road Accident In Italy
- How To Contact The Emergency Services In Italy
- How To Pay For Emergency Healthcare In Italy
- Reporting A Car Accident In Italy To The Police And Insurance Company
- Rental Car Accidents On The Road In Italy
- Claims For Whiplash From Car Crashes In Italy
- Do I Need To Use An Italian Solicitor When Claiming Compensation?
- Time Limits In Which To Claim For A Car Accident In Italy
- Personal Injury Claims Calculator For Car Accidents
- No Win No Fee Car Accident In Italy Compensation Claims
- Why Select Our Accident Abroad Claims Team?
- Start Your Road Traffic Accident Claim
- Essential Information As A Tourist In Italy
A Guide To Car Accidents In Italy Compensation Claims
This guide offers you information about how may may be eligible to claim if you have had a car accident in Italy as well as information on reaching the emergency services and receiving medical treatment in the event of a road traffic accident. You’ll also find useful advice and tips on making car accident claims when you return to the UK. We will go over some specific examples of common forms of car injury claims and how they work before moving on to advising you on how compensation is calculated when claims are conducted under UK law and how you can make a personal injury claim using a no win no fee agreement.
Cities And Other Destinations To Visit In Italy
The ten largest cities in Italy by population and the ones most popular with tourists include;
- Rome
- Milan
- Naples
- Turin
- Palermo
- Genoa
- Bologna
- Florence
- Bari
- Catania
Worth mentioning also are Venice and Pisa.
What Should I Do Before Driving In Italy?
There are certain items that drivers are required to obtain and have with them in their vehicle before they are permitted to drive under Italian law. You must make sure you have all of these, if intending to drive on Italian roads;
- At least one high visibility jacket, which you need to wear when exiting and waiting by your car if you have been in a collision or your car has broke down.
- At least one spare tyre
- A triangular warning sign to be placed by your car in the event of a crash or breakdown.
- Headlight deflectors.
- Motorcyclists and moped drivers and their passengers must wear a crash helmet at all times.
Certain legal documentation must be acquired before you can legally drive in Italy as well.
- A valid driver’s license, a UK driver’s license is considered valid in Italy
- ID: A British passport will suffice.
- Proof that you have car insurance, a Green card will suffice, you can purchase one at the border when you enter Italy.
- V5C registration certificate.
For further information on requirements for driving in Italy, and on how things might change once the UK leaves the EU, you can consult the government’s website.
Do You Need Driving And General Travel Insurance?
Driving insurance is required by law when driving in Italy. If you have driven or imported your car into Italy from an EU member state then check that the car insurance that you already have for your vehicle will cover you. When you cross the border into Italy you can be provided with an International Motor Insurance Certificate, also known as a green card, which can be used as proof that your car is covered. If you do not already have a Green card then you can apply for one at any time.
What To Do If Involved In A Road Accident In Italy
There several important steps you need to remember about what to do after a car accident that are crucial not just for your own health but also for improving your chances of making a successful car accident claim.
- Medical attention, this may be redundant if your injuries required the attention of paramedics. If not you should get a doctor to look at your injuries at the earliest opportunity, even if you think you could manage without medical attention. If you don’t have a record of having your injury examined and confirmed by a doctor it may be much more difficult to make a claim.
- Call the police: You need to make the police aware of the incident as soon as possible, especially if the incident is serious i.e if people have been hurt, if it is likely to disrupt traffic or if multiple vehicles have been involved.
- Inform your insurance company as soon as possible so that a formal record has been made.
- Photograph the scene of the accident, take photos of the damage to your car and other cars involved including their licence plates if possible. The police will most likely take photos for their own investigation, but taking plenty of your own won’t hurt either.
- Fill out a CAI form, a CAI form is a document which is distributed by car insurances, it is a report form to fill in in the event that you are involved in an accident.
How To Contact The Emergency Services In Italy
Not that you should ever have to go on holiday expecting to have to receive assistance from the emergency services, but it always helps to be prepared should you suffer an accident. Dial 112 to reach an operator for the emergency line who will speak to you in English and send the appropriate service for your emergency.
Alternatively, if you are confident with your Italian, dialing the following numbers will put you through to the emergency services even if your phone isn’t using an Italian SIM card. Be aware of course that the operator on the emergency line may speak to you in Italian.
- Police-113
- Fire service-115
- Ambulance -118
How To Pay For Emergency Healthcare In Italy
You will of course need to be treated for any injuries you suffered in the accident while you are in Italy, it may not be wise to attempt to delay medical attention of any kind until you get back to the UK even for more minor injuries. As we have already mentioned you can reach the Italian ambulance service by dialing 118, or reach an English speaking emergency service line operator by dialing 112.
It is advised that you have a valid Global Health insurance Card (GHIC) with you at all times, when you present it at the hospital it will allow you to receive health care either for free or at a reduced rate. Note that an GHIC does not cover all forms of medical treatment, i.e. dental treatment. If you don’t have an GHIC or if you receive treatment which the GHIC does not cover you will need either a health insurance policy or else pay for the costs of treatment yourself.
If you have had to pay for the costs of medical care for an injury you suffered in a road traffic accident that was not your fault then you could be able to claim the costs back as part of your car crash compensation.
Reporting A Car Accident In Italy To The Police And Insurance Company
If you have had a car accident in Italy you may need to report it to the police at a police station and have an accident report completed if there are no injuries and no concern of liability. If there are injuries and the road traffic incident is disrupting traffic you need to call the police to the scene. Doing this will help your case if you decide to make a car crash compensation claim, but in any case it is required by law in Italy to do so.
All drivers are issued with a CAI form, or “friendly accident report forms”, upon signing a contract with their car insurance company in Italy. This is a form which to be filled out in the event of a crash with the details of when, where and how the accident took place as best as you can remember. Filling out this form and submitting it to your insurer will greatly speed up the process of resolving your claim and receiving compensation.
Rental Car Accidents On The Road In Italy
If you suffer from a rental car accident while driving in Italy then you should inform the business you hired the car from in addition to taking the various different steps listed in the “What To Do If Involved In A Road Accident In Italy” section. The insurance that you took out with the rental company should cover the costs of the damage and they should be able to provide you with a replacement vehicle if the accident was not your fault. If your rental vehicle was part of the package holiday you booked in the UK using a UK based tour operator and it had a fault which caused an accident and subsequently an injury you may be eligible to claim against the package holiday tour operator under UK law.
Claims For Whiplash From Car Crashes In Italy
In the UK whiplash is one of the most common injuries people complain of when claiming for road traffic accident. Whiplash is caused by the head being suddenly swung back and forth with sufficient force to damage the soft tissues in the neck, namely the ligaments and tendons which hold the necks muscles and bones together. The sudden impact that occurs in a car accident is what most often causes it.
Whiplash very rarely proves to be a serious injury, although it can lead to pain, discomfort and an inability to move your head and neck which lasts for a few weeks to months. We recommend that you get yourself examined by a doctor to make sure that if you have whiplash you can provide confirmation to support your claim.
For information on how Accident Claims UK can help you make a claim for whiplash you suffered in an Italian road accident please call us.
Do I Need To Use An Italian Solicitor When Claiming Compensation?
As Italy is part of the European Union and so is the UK at present as all of this is subject to change, it is possible to pursue traffic accident claims that have happened in Italy once you return to the UK. You could receive advice from Accident Claims UK when it comes to finding a solicitor for making a claim for a road traffic accident in Italy.
Time Limits In Which To Claim For A Car Accident In Italy
As in Britain Italian road traffic accident claims have a personal injury claims time limit. Although of course Italy has a different legal system to that of the UK’s, so the amount of time you have to start your claim is different to that which you would have for a road traffic accident at home.
| Nature of claim | Time limit |
| Personal injury claim | Six years, may vary. |
| Road traffic accident claim | Two years, may vary. |
Personal Injury Claims Calculator For Car Accidents
This guide is not intended to tell you how much compensation you could be entitled to for a road traffic accident personal injury claim. Calculating the worth of a compensation claim is complicated and depends on a number of different factors. All this guide can do is explain how these factors are calculated, to know more you are welcome to speak to our accident claims team.
The amounts we have expressed are from the UK’s JC guidelines and are only for claims that will be conducted under UK law. The amount you can receive is based firstly on general damages; this is the monetary value of the injury you suffered. Its value varies depending on how bad the injury is and how much it will affect your life and health going forward. The lowest amounts of just a few hundred pounds are awarded for the most minor injuries; life changing injuries can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Below you will find a personal injury claims calculator with examples of how much certain types of injuries are valued under UK law, claims calculated in Italian law may be different, this could help give you an idea of the compensation amounts in general.
| Injury | Notes | Compensation |
| Neck injuries (severe) | Neck injuries which are life changing by causing permanent disabilities, loss of movement and pain. | £38,800-£139,210 |
| Neck injuries (moderate) | Neck injuries which cause chronic symptoms, vulnerability to further trauma, exacerbation of other pre-existing conditions and limitation of movement. | £6,730-£36,120 |
| Neck injuries (minor) | Neck injuries which cause pain, require treatment, necessitate time taken off work, but which will heal within two years or less. | £2,090-£7,410 |
| Quadriplegia | Paralysis from the neck down. Exact mount depends on degree of pain, awareness, life expectancy, ability to communicate and residual movement. | £276,940-£379,100 |
| Paraplegia | Paralysis from waist down. Exact amount depends on victims age, life expectancy, independence and factors like the degree of sexual function and depression related to the condition. | £186,890-£266,740 |
| Minor injuries (a) | The most minor forms of minor injuries, complete recovery within one week. | A few hundred pounds-£650 |
| Minor injuries (b) | Moderate minor injuries, full recovery within 28 days | £590-£1,290 |
| Minor injuries (c) | More serious minor injuries, full recovery within three months. | £1,170-£2,300 |
Besides general damages there are special damages, these reflect the financial costs of having suffered your injury. They cover things like:
- Medical care costs
- Care costs
- Home adaption costs
- Psychiatric care costs
- Travel expenses
- Lost earnings
No Win No Fee Car Accident In Italy Compensation Claims
Starting a legal case can be daunting, not least because of the financial cost. With Accident Claims UK you can make a claim with a no win no fee agreement. This is a type of claim where the claimant’s compensation is used to pay the personal injury solicitor a “success fee” for their services. The payment will not amount to more than 25% of the claimant’s compensation. This obviously means that the claim has to be successful in order for your lawyer to receive the payment, and that you won’t have to pay your solicitor if they do not win you compensation. The details of the arrangements for making a no win no fee claim are some of the things our accident claims team would be happy to discuss with you if you call us for advice.
Why Select Our Accident Abroad Claims Team?
Our team members have been working as personal injury lawyers for up to thirty years, so you can count on their experience. Working with Accident Claims UK you will be guided every step of the way and once the claim is ongoing our accident claims team will keep in touch with you regularly to keep you in the loop as to how things are developing.
Start Your Road Traffic Accident Claim
You can either receive a free consultation from one of our legal experts or you can discuss starting a no win no fee claim with them right now by calling 0800 073 8801. If right now isn’t the best time why not arrange for one of our team members to call you, you can do that by putting in a call back request here, and we will get back to you at a time of your choosing. Alternatively you could also send an email to office@accidentclaims.co.uk
Essential Information As A Tourist In Italy
If I am injured in a car accident in Italy what could I claim for?
When you claim personal injury compensation, you’ll payout would usually include not only damages for the pain and suffering you’ve experience, but financial expenses too.
- General damages would be damages you’d receive for your pain and your suffering. As part of your claim, you would need to attend a medical examination appointment. This would be with an independent medical expert. Upon examination of your injuries, they may ask you questions, or could refer to your past medical notes if they are relevant to your case. They may also in some cases need to order further tests. When they have a full picture of the nature and the severity of your injuries, they would write a report. This would be used to evidence your injuries and could significantly impact your compensation. It is important to recognise that not only could you claim for physical injuries, but you could also claim for psychological injuries too. You would need to evidence them via a medical report though.
- Special damages would be damages you’d receive for financial costs relating to your injury and accident. There are a great deal of costs that you may encounter when you suffer injuries in a car accident in Italy. These could include care costs, if your injuries were so severe that you needed help at home. You could also claim for medical expenses if you had to pay for medical treatment. Or their expenses could include travel expenses and even lost earnings.
We could help you claim for both special and general damages. Our specialist solicitors could help you fight for the maximum compensation possible for your case.
Could I claim if my child is injured in a car accident in Italy?
Making a claim for your child is something some parents do if their child is injured in an accident that was not their fault. If your child is injured in a car accident in Italy, whether as a pedestrian or a passenger, we could assist with such a claim. We can show you how to become a litigation friend on behalf of your child. That way, you would have the power to make decisions about their claim for them. When it comes to how long you could have to claim on behalf of a child, this would be usually until their 18th birthday. Alternatively, you could wait, and allow your child to claim for themselves. They would have to wait until they are an adult to do so.
Could I claim for a fatal car accident in Italy?
If someone that you loved has been fatally injured in a car accident in Italy, you may be naturally devastated. However, it may feel worse if they are injured in an accident that was not their fault. It could be possible to claim compensation for the loss of a loved one in an accident that was not their fault. Our dedicated lawyers could help you make such a claim.
Thank you for reading this guide to making a claim for a car accident in Italy.