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Poland Car Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation?

Car accident claims Poland

Car accident claims Poland

On this page, you will find a detailed guide to the process of making car accident claims in Poland. Within it, you are going to learn why you might have a valid personal injury claim, who you can claim against, and how to start making your claim.

However, if you don’t have the time to read all of this guide, then just skim over the parts that are relevant in your own case, and then speak to one of the Legal Expert team on 0800 073 8804. They will go over your claim with you, inform you of your legal options, and then offer you a simple and effective way to start your claim right away.

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A Guide To Car Accident Compensation Claims In Poland

Within this guide, you will learn everything that you need to know about making a claim for a road traffic accident in Poland. By the time you have finished reading it, you should be well equipped to begin making educated choices about your own claim.

The guide starts by covering some key information on dealing with your accident in Poland. This includes how to access the emergency services, how to get medical treatment, and what to do if you have been injured in a road traffic accident. It also covers a number of steps you can take in preparation for making a claim once you return home, and information on when to get the police involved.

The guide then moves on to cover common injuries such as whiplash, before providing specific information related to the claim itself. This includes a list of the common types of damages your settlement might include. We have also included a table of typical compensation amounts for a range of injuries, instead of adding an online personal injury claims calculator to this page. These kinds of calculators can be very inaccurate.

The final part of this guide will introduce the Legal Expert national claims service, and explain why we believe this is the best service to use for people to have their claim processed.

The table below, shows the three different types of personal injury claims time limit that operate in Poland:

Edit
Circumstances of Claim Time Limit
General personal injury claims. 3-years.
Personal injury claims involving criminal activities. 20-years.
If the victim is a minor. Until the victim’s 20 th birthday.

Once you have finished reading this guide, if you have any questions, please speak to one of the Legal Expert team on the number at the end of the page. They will be able to answer any questions you have, and help you to get your claim started.

Emergency Services Contacts For Poland

If you have been involved in a serious road traffic accident in Poland, you will need to contact the emergency services. This is easy in Poland, as the emergency services have established a unified emergency number (112). When you call it, an operator that speaks several languages (including English) will go over the facts of your emergency with you, and then dispatch any emergency services that are needed. The full list of emergency numbers in Poland is:

  • 122 – unified emergency number.
  • 999 – for an ambulance.
  • 998 – for the fire service.
  • 997 – for the police.

You can find more information about contacting the emergency services in Poland at this link:

Poland emergency services information

Healthcare In Poland For Visitors And Tourists

If you have a road traffic accident in Europe, it is important to know how to get medical treatment for any injuries that you have sustained. This is actually pretty straightforward in Poland, as the country has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK, under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme. What this means, is that as long as you have your EHIC on your when you visit the hospital, you will get reduced price or even free healthcare, at the same level as a Polish citizen would.

However, EHIC is not a replacement for good travel or health insurance. It will only cover basic emergency care. If you need treatment that falls outside of the remit of EHIC, and you don’t have insurance to cover it, then you will have to pay out of your own pocket. You may be able to claim the cost of private medical treatment as part of your claim, but only if the claim is successful of course.

You can find more information on how to receive healthcare while you are in Poland, at this link:

What To Do If Injured In A Car Accident In Poland

Poland road traffic accident statistics

The graph above shows the number of fatal road traffic accidents has been in decline for some years. However, they do still happen.

Before you get home, and engage a personal injury lawyer to process a road traffic accident claim for you, you need to deal with the situation on the ground, right after the accident has happened.

In Poland, there are some things you will need to do at the scene of the accident. Some of these are legal requirements, others are common sense, for example:

  1. Make sure that obstructions are removed from the road.
  2. Switch on emergency warning lights.
  3. Locate injured people, and make sure they are at no further risk of injury. Do not move them!
  4. Call the emergency services.
  5. Exchange details with the other drivers involved including insurance information.

These steps will make sure that you are kept safe after the accident, that any injured people are stabilised and will soon receive medical treatment, and that you have fulfilled your legal obligations at the scene of the accident.

What Should You Do After A Car Crash Or Accident Abroad?

If you are involved in a car crash in Poland , there are a number of steps you can take, to begin preparing to make a compensation claim once you return to the UK. Each of these steps performs two functions. Firstly, it will help you to deal with the accident while in Poland. Secondly, it will leave a paper trail, which will make proving the circumstances of the accident much simpler, when it becomes time to start your claim. These steps include:

  1. Make sure you visit the hospital to have your injuries treated. Even if you believe they are minor, and do not need professional treatment. This will mean that your injuries are recorded in the Polish health system.
  2. If the police did not attend the scene of the accident, make sure it has been reported to them. Get the police incident number and make a not of it. This proves that the accident took place.
  3. If you intend to claim for private medical treatment on your travel or health insurance, contact your insurance firm and warn them.
  4. If you are driving a rental vehicle, call the rental firm and inform them of the accident, even if there was no damage done to the vehicle.
  5. When you get back to the UK, go to the hospital and have your injuries checked over again, to make sure they have been treated properly.
  6. Make a list of all of the financial and other losses that you have incurred due to the accident.
  7. Call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this guide. We will be able to help you to make a claim for the compensation you are entitled to.

When To Report Your Car Crash To The Police

Part of the answer to the question, what to do in case of a car accident in Poland? is that in most cases, you are going to need to make sure that the accident has been reported to the police. There are three specific cases, in which you must call the police, and these are:

  1. If you and the drivers involved cannot agree on who was to blame for the accident.
  2. One of the drivers involved does not have a valid driving licence or vehicle insurance policy.
  3. One of the drivers involved seems to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

However, we recommend that all road traffic accidents in Poland are reported to the police, so that there is a legal record of the accident taking place. This will make the process of making a claim simpler. When you are ready to make your claim, Legal Expert can help. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of this page to proceed.

I Suffered Whiplash In My Road Accident In Poland, Can I Claim Compensation?

Whiplash is the most common of all injuries claimed for in the UK every year. Whiplash costs motor insurers over £2 billion in insurance payouts annually. The average amount paid for a whiplash injury is approximately £1,850. Whiplash can be caused by even slow-speed accident such as a rear shunt. It can affect both the driver and the passengers in the vehicle. Whiplash can be very hard to treat, and even a minor case could last for several weeks. Serious cases can leave the victim in pain for many months.

In the past, whiplash has been used to make false compensation claims, and currently the UK legal system looks very closely at any claim for this kind of injury. This is why Legal Expert recommends that you undergo an impartial medical examination to support your whiplash claim. We can arrange for you to have one for free from a local doctor. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of this page for more information about this. The link below, has some detailed information published by the NHS about whiplash, its causes and its treatment:

What Can Your Road Traffic Accident Claim In Poland Include Compensation For?

Whenever you make a compensation claim, if you are successful, then the settlement that you receive will be made up of one or more types of damages. All of these types of damages fit into one of the overall headings of special damages for financial and other losses, and general damages, to make up for the physical aspects of the injuries. Typical types of damages you may receive could include, but are not limited to:

Special Damages to Compensation for Financial and Other Losses

These types of damages relate to all of the non-physical reasons you may be making a claim, such as:

  • Loss of future income – if your earning potential in the future will be lower due to your injuries.
  • Loss of current income – if you have had to take time away from work and have lost out on your salary/wages.
  • Cost of care – if you have had to have a nurse at home looking after you, or you have had to hire somebody to help with keeping our home clean and maintained.
  • Medical fees – if you have had to pay the cost of any private medical treatment out of your own pocket.
  • Travel costs – for any travel you had to make to either have your injuries treated, or to deal with matters arising from the claim itself, such as visiting your solicitor or attending court.

General Damages to Compensate for the Physical Aspects of Your Injuries

These types of damages relate to all of the physical reasons you may be making a claim, such as:

  • Permanent disability – if your injuries will leave you with a permanent disability such as loss of an arm or leg, paralysis or brain damage.
  • Loss of life quality – if your injuries will leave you with a reduced quality of life. Loss of mobility for example.
  • Long-term recuperation – if the recovery period for your injuries was long and painful.
  • Pain and suffering – for the initial pain of the injuries and the accident that caused them, as well as the emergency medical treatment you received.
  • Mental trauma – for the shock and stress of the initial accident.

To get an estimate of the types of damages you may be able to claim for in your own case; please speak to one of the Legal Expert team on the number below.

Poland Car Crash And Road Traffic Accident Injury Claims Calculator

In the table below, we have included typical amounts paid for a range of different types of injuries. These amounts are based on the judicial guidelines used by the courts in the UK, to judge how much compensation should be paid to a claimant.

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Injury Type Severity Information Compensation
Hand injury Minor to serious The injuries will range upwards from cuts, bruises and other soft tissue injuries, through fractures and sprains, to the entire amputation of one of both hands. Up to £54,311
Wrist injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from soft tissue injuries including lacerations and burns, through sprains, nerve damage and fractures, to paralysis if the wrist. Up to £4,191
Arm injury Moderate to severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts, burns and bruising, through dislocation, nerve and muscle damage, and fractures, up to entire amputation of the arm above or below the elbow. Up to £114,841
Finger injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts and lacerations, through dislocation and fractures, to entire amputation of one or more of the fingers. Up to £21,951
Thumb injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts and lacerations, through dislocation and fractures, to entire amputation of one or both of the thumbs. Up to £48,051
Back injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from soft tissue damage including burns, bruising and cuts, through damage to the vertebrae, as well as the nerves of muscles of the back, to total paralysis. Up to £141,181
Neck injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from soft tissue damage including burns, bruising and cuts, through damage to the vertebrae, as well as the nerves of muscles of the neck, to total paralysis. Up to £130,091
Toe injury Moderate to severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts and lacerations, through dislocation and fractures, to entire amputation of one or more of the toes. Up to £49,151
Ankle injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from soft tissue injuries including lacerations and burns, through sprains, nerve damage and fractures, to paralysis if the ankle. Up to £61,151
Foot injury Minor to very severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts, bruises and other soft tissue injuries, through fractures and sprains, to the entire amputation of one of both feet. Up to £96,151
Leg injury Minor to severe The injuries will range upwards from cuts, burns and bruising, through dislocation, nerve and muscle damage, and fractures, up to entire amputation of the leg above or below the knee. Up to £119,251

To get a much more accurate idea of how much you might be able to claim in your own case, please speak to one of the Legal Expert team on the number below.

No Win No Fee Car And Vehicle Crash Claims In Poland

Legal Expert can act as your No Win No Fee solicitor to process personal injury claims. When we first start working on your claim, there is no fee. As we try to reach a settlement, there are no ongoing fees. If we don’t manage to get you any compensation, then there is still no fee to pay. When we do win you a settlement, we will take our fee straight out of the payment received on your behalf, and then send the rest to you.

How Our Specialists Can Help You Claim Compensation For A Car Crash rash In Poland

Part of dealing with a traffic accident in Poland, is making sure that you have good legal representation in the UK< to help you make a claim. Legal Expert has plenty of experience, and has proven that we have skill and experience needed to win significant compensation payments, across a wide range of claim types. We have helped many people get the compensation that they are entitled to, and we are sure that we can do the same for you. Call us on the number below, and one of our team will explain how we can be of help.

Top City Break Destinations in Poland

  • Warsaw
  • Kraków
  • Łódź
  • Wrocław
  • Poznań
  • Gdańsk
  • Szczecin
  • Bydgoszcz
  • Lublin
  • Katowice

Contact Our Road Traffic Accident Abroad Experts Today

Have you been injured in a road traffic accident in Poland? Do you believe that you have a reason to claim holiday accident compensation? If so, Legal Expert can act as your personal injury solicitor, and help you to get the compensation you are eligible for. Speak to one of our team on 0800 073 8804 today, and we can get started on your claim right away.

Helpful Guides For Victims Of Accidents Abroad In Poland

British Embassy Warsaw

  1. Kawalerii 12

00-468 Warsaw

mazowieckie

Poland

Tel: +48 22 311 00 00

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9:00am to 12:30pm.

At the link below, you will find a full guide to making a compensation claim for an accident while on holiday in Poland:

A guide to holiday accidents in Poland

At this link, is a guide that covers how to make a claim for a holiday accident while visiting the city of Krakow, in Poland:

How to claim for a holiday accident while visiting Krakow

Finally, you might find this guide to be of use, this is our general guide to making road traffic accident claims:

A guide to making a road traffic accident claim