Road Traffic Accidents in France

Road traffic accidents in France may involve several important steps: notifying the insurer, attending a medical examination, assessing the losses suffered, applying for an interim payment, reviewing a compensation offer or challenging the insurer’s position.

Pierre Nicolet, a member of the Paris Bar, assists people injured in road traffic accidents and their families with compensation claims in Paris, the Paris region and throughout France.

The firm’s role is to help you understand your rights, prepare the key stages of your claim and ensure that the consequences of the accident are properly taken into account.

Not Sure Where to Start?

Whether you were a driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist or e-scooter user, the issues that need to be considered are not always the same after a road traffic accident.

A first consultation can help identify the initial questions, the documents that may be useful and the next steps in your claim.

Who Can the Firm Assist After a Road Traffic Accident?

The firm assists people injured in road traffic accidents, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and e-scooter users.

The firm may also assist family members of a person who has been seriously injured or killed in an accident.

Assistance may be provided in cases involving:

• an injured driver;
• an injured passenger;
• a pedestrian hit by a vehicle;
• a cyclist or e-scooter user;
• a motorcyclist injured in an accident;
• a relative of a person killed in an accident;
• an injured person who has received an inadequate compensation offer.

Why Consult a Lawyer After a Road Traffic Accident?

After a road traffic accident, the insurer may quickly contact the injured person, arrange a medical examination or make a compensation offer.

A lawyer can help you deal with these steps and check that the practical consequences of the accident are properly taken into account. These may include injuries, lasting effects, time off work, loss of earnings, impact on employment and career, the need for care or assistance, out-of-pocket expenses and consequences for family life.

The firm can assist by:

• analysing the circumstances of the accident;
• identifying the relevant parties and insurers;
• communicating with the insurer;
• preparing for the medical examination;
• gathering the necessary documents;
• applying for an interim payment;
• reviewing a compensation offer;
• negotiating or commencing legal proceedings where necessary.

The Medical Examination After a Road Traffic Accident

The medical examination is a key stage of a personal injury compensation claim. It is used to assess the injuries, any lasting effects, medical stabilisation and the consequences of the accident for the injured person’s personal, professional and family life.

Before the examination, it is important to prepare the medical records, evidence of time off work, documents relating to expenses and information describing the difficulties experienced in everyday life.

Careful preparation can also help identify the issues requiring particular attention and reduce the risk that an important consequence of the accident will be overlooked.

Should You Accept the Insurer’s Compensation Offer?

An insurer’s compensation offer may seem reassuring, particularly when it is made after several months of correspondence. Before accepting it, however, it is important to check whether all relevant heads of loss have been considered.

The firm can review the offer, identify losses that may have been omitted or undervalued and advise you on the possible next steps.

Depending on the circumstances, those steps may include negotiation, a request for an additional payment, a further medical examination or legal proceedings.

What Losses May Be Compensated After a Road Traffic Accident?

Each case must be assessed individually. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may cover:

• pain and suffering;
• temporary functional impairment;
• permanent functional impairment;
• loss of earnings;
• impact on employment and career;
• unreimbursed medical expenses;
• future healthcare costs;
• care and assistance provided by another person;
• adaptation of the home or vehicle;
• scarring or disfigurement;
• loss of amenity;
• losses suffered by family members in the event of death or serious disability.

When Should You Contact the Firm?

It may be advisable to contact a lawyer after a road traffic accident if the accident caused injuries, time off work, lasting effects, a planned medical examination, a compensation offer or a dispute with the insurer.

The firm can become involved at different stages of the claim: during the initial steps, before the medical examination, after receipt of a compensation offer or when legal proceedings become necessary.

It is not necessary to wait until the claim is complete before requesting an initial review. Important evidence may need to be preserved and some steps may need to be anticipated.

Assistance in Paris and Throughout France

Based in Paris, the firm assists people injured in road traffic accidents in the Paris region, throughout mainland France and in the French overseas departments and territories.

Meetings can be arranged at the office, by telephone or by video call, depending on your circumstances, your health and the stage reached in your claim.

Where appropriate, the firm can also assist in connection with medical examinations or other steps taking place outside Paris.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Contact a Lawyer Before the Medical Examination?

Yes, this is often advisable. The medical examination may have a significant influence on the assessment of your losses. Preparing in advance helps gather the relevant documents and identify the issues requiring particular attention.

The Insurer Has Made a Compensation Offer: Should I Accept It?

Before accepting an offer, it is important to check whether all heads of loss have been taken into account. An offer may appear satisfactory while omitting some of the personal, professional or family consequences of the accident.

Does the Firm Assist Clients Outside Paris?

Yes. The firm is based in Paris but can assist clients in the Paris region and throughout France, including by telephone, by video call or in connection with medical examinations organised outside Paris.

Which Documents Should I Prepare for a First Consultation?

If they are already available, you can prepare your correspondence with the insurer, the accident report or police report, medical certificates, hospital records, evidence of time off work, the notice of the medical examination, any compensation offer and supporting documents relating to expenses or loss of earnings.

Further information is available on the first consultation page .

Useful Resources

Justice.fr — Compensation for Personal Injury After a Road Traffic Accident (French-language resource)

French Road Safety Authority — Compensation for Road Traffic Victims (French-language resource)

French Insurance Code — Article L. 211-9 (French-language resource)