Car Accident Claims In Spain Guide – How To Claim Compensation? – 100% No Win No Fee – Accident In Spain

By Joanne Jeffries. Last Updated 26th November 2021. Welcome to this guide to making a claim for a car accident in Spain.

Have you been involved in a car accident in Spain? If so, it is only right that you get the compensation you deserve. We can assist with this. If you require help with car accident compensation in Spain, or anywhere else in the world, all you need to do is give Accident Claims UK a call. We are one of the leading law firms in the UK, and we provide our service throughout the entire country. All of our solicitors work on a No Win, No Fee basis too, which ensures a better service. If you have any queries, or if you would like to start the process of making a claim, please give us a call on 0800 073 8801. But first, continue reading to find out everything you need to know about making a personal injury claim.

Select A Section

A Guide To Claims For Car Accidents In Spain

Have you been involved in a Spanish road accident? No matter whether you were a passenger or you were driving your car, if someone else caused the incident, there is a very high chance that you will be entitled to compensation. However, you need to handle everything in the correct manner, which is why we have put this guide together.

First and foremost, have you got a claim? This is undoubtedly the only place to begin. Aside from proving that someone else caused the road traffic accident, there are two other key factors:

  1. Have you seen a doctor?
  2. When did the incident happen?

It is vital to see a medical professional, not only for health purposes, but also for the purpose of your claim. The doctor will put together a medical report, which will be used to support your claims and determine how much compensation you will get. The date of the incident is also crucial. This is because there is usually a one-year personal injury claims time limit on most Spanish personal injury cases, and so the accident must have occurred within the past three years. There are some exceptions to this, which you will discover more about later in the guide.

Car accident in Spain

Car accident in Spain

Now you should have a good idea as to whether you have a strong case. The next thing to do is actually make the claim. You will need to know who caused the incident to do this. You will need their name, address, telephone number, insurance details, and vehicle registration number. What if the driver fled the scene? You will be able to make a claim, as there is a scheme run by the Motor Insurers Bureau. The process is slightly different, but don’t worry, as it’s something we have plenty of experience with.

Aside from this, make sure you keep a hold of all records that prove the expenses you have experienced because of the car accident. You can claim for these, but you will need receipts and such like. Common expenses claimed for when it comes to road traffic accidents include vehicle repair costs, counselling expenses for psychological injuries, the cost of medical treatment, travel expenses, and loss of earnings.

This gives you a brief overview of what is involved when it comes to claiming for a car accident in Spain. Nevertheless, continuing reading to discover everything you need to know, from typical payout amounts to emergency contact numbers.

What Are The Largest Cities In Spain?

  1. Bilbao
  2. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  3. Palma
  4. Murcia
  5. Malaga
  6. Zaragoza
  7. Sevilla
  8. Valencia
  9. Barcelona
  10. Madrid

What To You Have To Do Before Driving In Spain

You will be required to have specific documentation and items in your vehicle in Spain. These are as follows:

  • Your driving licence
  • Two warning triangles
  • Reflective jacket for all passengers
  • European Accident Statement
  • Insurance policy document
  • ITV documentation
  • Car registration document or rental document

Why Is It Important To Have Travel And Driving Insurance?

It is important for people to have adequate insurance in place, including both travel and driving insurance. Of course, you need adequate driving insurance to ensure you are allowed to drive in Spain. Moreover, you need travel insurance for medical care. This can be important or necessary for people after an accident to help them get the medical attention they need if they have been involved in a Malaga car accident or an accident anywhere else in Spain. Even though you may be able to use your GHIC card to get access to state care, this is not applicable to all injuries and illnesses, so you do need to have travel insurance too.

What To Do After A Car Accident In Spain

If you are planning on making a claim for a personal injury, you need to know what to do after a car accident. So, use the following tips to ensure you have the best chance of success:

  • See a doctor – You will not be able to make a claim if you do not see a medical professional for your injuries. You may think this seems obvious. However, when some people sustain minor injuries, they prefer to deal with them alone. Not only is this not advised for your well being, but also you will struggle to build a strong case too because there will not be any proof of your injuries.
  • Contact the police – You eed to make sure the authorities are aware of the crash, especially if a crime has been involved and/or the car crash site is posing a threat to oncoming traffic. Contacting the police will also ensure there is an official record of what has happened.
  • Contact your insurance company – You also need to make sure your insurance company is aware of what happened at the earliest opportunity.
  • Claim as soon as possible – You are going to find it a lot easier to claim the sooner you do so. This is because it will be more straightforward for you to remember what has happened, and it will be a easier task for you to get your hands on pivotal pieces of evidence, such as witness statements. Also, do not forget that there is a one-year time limit on most Spanish personal injury cases.
  • Take photographs – It is likely that there is going to be damage to the scene and to your vehicle or rental car, and so it is a good idea to snap a few photos on your smartphone for proof.
  • Keep proof of any costs – You will be able to claim for any costs you have incurred as special damages, but you are going to need proof in order to do so. Examples range from loss of income and prescription expenses to travel costs and the cost of counselling.
  • Use a No Win, No Fee solicitor – A No Win, No Fee solicitor will give you the greatest chance of a successful case, as you are only going to need to pay legal fees if your case is a success, and thus you are also offered a degree of financial protection.

How To Get Help From The Emergency Services

Before you go on vacation anywhere, it is critical to jot down all of the emergency numbers you may need. The number you should call in any emergency is 112. You can also get in touch with the fire brigade on 080, the local police on 092, and the ambulance on 061.

How To Pay For Medical Treatment In Spain

As mentioned, if you need to get in touch with an ambulance, either call 061 or 112. If you are visiting Spain, you may be able to gain access to reduced or free public healthcare by using your GHIC card. If you do not have one of these cards already, you can easily attain one free of charge by heading to the UK Government website and following the process.

Reporting Your Car Accident To Police And Your Insurance Provider

You are going to need to inform the police about the road traffic accident you have been involved in. This is critical because it serves as an official record of what has occurred. It is also vital in terms of dealing with any foul play, for example, a hit and run or a driver who does not have insurance. You also need to make sure that your insurance provider is aware of what has happened at the earliest opportunity.

Rental Car Accidents In Spain

If you have been involved in a rental car accident in Spain, you will need to call the company at the earliest opportunity to inform them about the incident. They should have comprehensive insurance in place to cover the costs and you should be provided with a replacement vehicle if the incident was not your fault.

Whiplash Injury Claims

Most people associate whiplash with car crashes. While this is the most common way of sustaining the injury, you can also get it via many other ways. This is because whiplash occurs when the head joints backwards and forwards in a violent manner. This can cause neck and back pain as well as nausea, blurred vision and stiffness, amongst many other symptoms. More often than not, whiplash can take a while to surface, usually several hours but sometimes even several days. Therefore, if you have been involved in any type of accident, you need to see a medical professional as soon as possible to make sure the problem does not end up getting a lot worse. This is also vital if you want to make a claim because the medical report provided by your doctor is required. This is the sort of injury that can differ in terms of severity dramatically, ranging from very mild to even life threatening. No matter the nature of your whiplash injury, you will be able to make a claim.

Time Limits For Claiming Compensation After A Car Accident

Edit
Circumstances of illness or injury Time limit
Privately booked holidays Up to 1 year (can vary)
Package holidays – Example if the accident was on a coach provided by the UK package holiday company Up To 3 years

Calculating How Much Your Injury Could Be Worth

When it comes to making a claim for personal injury compensation, there is one thing we all want to know, and this is how much money could we receive? To have a better understanding of how much compensation you could get, you need to understand what you can claim for and how compensation is calculated. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover everything you need to know about this aspect of making a personal injury claim…

When discussing compensation, it is best to look at it as a two-part thing. These two parts are general damages and financial losses. Let’s begin with the former.

What are general damages?

This is the amount of money you will receive to compensate you for the injuries you have sustained. To determine how much you will get, the medical report that is provided by your doctor is the main source of evidence. This reveals all about your injuries and the treatment you need to undergo. Therefore, when deciphering how much you will get, the following are some of the factors that will be considered:

  • The severity of the injury
  • The type of injury you have sustained
  • If you have suffered multiple injuries
  • The impact on your day-to-day life
  • The impact on your work life
  • The impact on your social life
  • If you had any relevant pre-existing conditions

What are financial losses?

Now you know what general damages is, the next thing you need to concern yourself with is financial losses. You may have an idea of what these are by the name. Financial losses are exactly that – the money you have lost because of the accident and the injuries you have sustained. You simply need to ask yourself if you would have sustained the cost in question if you had not been injured. If the answer is no, then you know that you can claim for it. Please be mindful that you will need proof, such as receipts, to do so. Here are some common examples of financial losses:

  • Treatment expenses
  • The cost of counselling
  • Prescription expenses
  • Loss of income
  • Vehicle repair damages
  • Hospital parking expenses
  • Travel costs
  • The cost of hiring someone to look after your children
  • Car hire charges
  • Accommodation expenses
  • … And much, much more!

With that being said, in the table below you can see the average payout for injuries relating to road traffic accidents in further detail. Please note, though, that all cases are handled on an individual basis, so you can only ever receive a rough estimate of your payout. This is especially the case if you use a personal injury claims calculator – such tools are not very accurate.

Edit
What injury have you sustained? The typical cost
Minor Brain or Head Injury £1,940 to £11,200
Severe back injury £79,890 to £141,150
Minor neck injury, recovery in 3 months Up to £2,150
Severe neck injury In the region of £130,060
Severe ankle injury £27,450 to £43,900
Loss of both legs £211,150 to £247,280
Simple Fracture of a Femur £7,990 to £12,350

If you cannot find the injury you have sustained in the table above, please give us a call.

No Win No Fee Claims Car Accident In Spain Claims

There is a lot that needs to be considered when it comes to making a claim for personal injury compensation. However, one of the most vital things is finding a premium quality solicitor that is happy to work on your case to give you the greatest chance of getting the full amount of compensation you deserve. If you take a look on the Internet, you will see that you have an enormous number of personal injury solicitors to choose from. Keeping that in mind, here are some of the qualities you should be looking out for to help you narrow down your search:

  • Someone that is UK based and registered
  • Someone that has several years of experience in the industry at least
  • Someone that is easy to communicate with
  • Someone that has worked on cases similar to yours
  • Someone that has a glowing reputation in the industry
  • Someone that is happy to work to a No Win, No Fee agreement

All of the six attributes mentioned are vital when searching for the best solicitor. You can be sure that our team of solicitors tick all of these boxes. Nevertheless, it is worth elaborating on the No Win, No Fee aspect further, especially if the cost of a personal injury solicitor is something that is worrying you.

A lot of people do not make a claim when they would have been entitled to compensation, and this is because they fear they will not be able to afford the large costs that are typically associated with making a claim. However, it is vital to recognise that when you go down the no-win no-fee route, this is something you do not need to fret about.

This is because you will not need to make a large upfront payment to begin the claim process, as is the case when you go for a personal injury solicitor that charges by the hour. Financial risk is also minimised when going down this route. After all, if you were to use on of the solicitors that charges on an hourly basis, there is always the chance that you are going to invest a considerable sum of money only to discover that your case has not been a success. You do not have to fret about this with the No Win, No Fee approach because you will not pay any legal fees if your case is not a success.

How We Can Help You

If you are looking for help with car accident compensation in Spain, Accident Claims UK is the company you need. With many years of experience, you can rest assured that we know everything there is to know about these types of claims. Couple that with the fact that we have successfully secure compensation for thousands of personal injury victims, and you know that you are in safe hands.

However, we don’t simply expect you to take our word for it when we say that we are the best. We know that there is a lot riding on your compensation claim, and you want to be sure that you have the best solicitors working on your case. Therefore, read on to discover the top five benefits associated with our service.

  1. No Win, No Fee – There is only one place to begin and this is with the fact that all of our highly-trained and experienced solicitors work on a No Win, No Fee arrangement. This means that you are offered a huge degree of financial protection because you will not have to pay any legal fees if your case fails. We realise that compensation claims can be risky business for the victim, as they are worried about investing all of their money when there is no guarantee they will get compensation in the end. However, our service eliminates this worry.
  2. Experience – As mentioned at the start of the guide, we have been in the industry for many years, and so you can be sure that we have more than enough experience to handle your case effectively. In fact, we have probably worked on hundreds, if not thousands, of cases that are similar to yours.
  3. Reputation – We have a fantastic reputation in the industry. All you need to do is look at the comments that have been left by some of our previous clients to see that this is the case. We always go that extra mile to ensure that our customers are satisfied.
  4. Quick and easy service – Our aim is to ensure that compensation is secured in the easiest and most efficient manner. We know that these cases are unpredictable, and sometimes complexities arise. However, we also know that you have enough on your plate as it is. This is why we aim to secure compensation over the telephone whenever possible.
  5. Effective communication – Last but not least, we will keep you up to date with the progress of your case throughout. It is easy to get in touch with Accident Claims UK. All you need to do is give us a call on 0800 073 8801

Contact Us And Start Your Claim Today

If you have been involved in a car accident in Spain, you can reach us at Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801. You will speak to an experienced and friendly advisor who will happily answer all of your queries and concerns. We can also get the personal injury claims process rolling if you are happy to be put in contact with one of our team members. We will match you to the best personal injury lawyer from our team based on the ins and outs of your case. Moreover, if you do not want to call, there are plenty of other ways to get in touch, from live chat to email.

Where To Find Further Helpful Information

At Accident Claims UK, we have lots of useful guides on our website, which are filled with information. You may find the following helpful…

Accidents in Cars – General – A general information page about this type of claim.

Holiday Accidents – Injured abroad? Read this handy guide

British Embassy Madrid

Torre Espacio

Paseo de la Castellana 259D

28046 Madrid

Spain

Tel: (+34) 91 714 6300

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm

www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-madrid/office/british-consulate-general-madrid

British Consulate General Barcelona

The Consulate in Barcelona provides services to Britons in Andorra, Aragon and Catalonia.

Avda Diagonal 477-13

08036 Barcelona

Spain

Tel: (+34) 93 366 6200

www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-barcelona/office/british-consulate-general-barcelona

The British Embassy also provide consular services in Alicante, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife.

The NHS on Accidents in Spain – Read more information from the NHS here.

FAQ about claiming for a car accident in Spain

What do I do after a car accident in Spain?

We have already explained some of the actions that you might want to take if you are involved in a car accident in Spain. To give you a quick run-down of the actions in full, please see below:

Notify relevant parties about the car accident in Spain

In Spain, it is an obligation to have an agreed statement of facts with you. You can use this to inform your insurance company of the details of the accident. You could also ask to obtain a report from the state security forces. If an accident is serious, this report could demonstrate the details of it. It could significantly help your claim.

Visit the hospital

If you visit a hospital after a car accident in Spain, you could then obtain an injury report. While this could be useful to make your claim, you would also have to get an independent medical assessment.

Inform the insurer about a car accident in Spain

The person who caused the accident must report it to their insurer quickly. Usually, an insurance policy would contain the required reporting period. It would be a wise idea to check your policy documentation if you are at fault for an accident.

Look into your options in terms of claiming for a car accident in Spain

If you are injured in an accident, even if you were partly at fault, you could still claim compensation as long as another motorist was also at fault. It would be wise to look into getting legal advice as quickly as possible after such an accident. We could help you with this.

Could I claim compensation on behalf of a child?

Children do not have the required legal capacity to make a claim on their own. They could either try to make their own claim once they turned 18. Or you could claim on their behalf. Please note, any settlement would go into a trust for your child. They could access it once they turn of age.

Could I claim for a fatal car accident in Spain?

Unfortunately, some people do not survive their injuries from car accidents. If you have lost someone you loved in a car accident in Spain that was not their fault, you could be eligible to claim compensation. The settlements you could receive could include compensation for your loved one’s suffering and pain, as well as funeral expenses and even a bereavement award in some cases. To find out whether you could be eligible to claim, please contact our team. We understand that in no way would any amount of compensation truly compensate you for the loss of a loved one. However, it could ease any financial burden caused by their death.

Our knowledgeable expert team could handle your case for a fatal accident claim in Spain with sensitivity and tact. We know that claiming involves going over some of the details of your loved one’s death, so this could be traumatic. We promise to handle your claim sensitively.

Thank you for reading our guide to claiming for a car accident in Spain.