Compensation Claims for Road Traffic Accidents in Egypt

Personal Injury

Traffic accidents on roads

First, the legislation that regulates how to secure traffic accidents on roads:

Law on Insurance Supervision and Control in Egypt No. (10) Of 1981 and its modifications, laws No. (91) Of 1995 and Law No. (118) of 2008.
Law No. (72) Of 2007 regarding issuing a compulsory insurance for civil liability arising from accidents of rapid transit vehicles Within Arab Republic of Egypt.
Decree of the Minister of Investment No. (217) of 2007 by issuing Executive regulations for compulsory insurance Law.
Prime Minister's decree no. (1828) of 2007 by issuing the System of Government Fund to cover damages resulting from accidents of rapid transit vehicles within the Republic of Egypt.
Decree No. (345) of 2007 regarding methods and terms of Payable amounts for Insurance in accordance with the provisions of the Compulsory Insurance Law No. 72 of 2007
Traffic Law No. (66) Of 1973 and its modifications, laws No. 155 of 1999, and law No. 121 of 2008
Interior minister's decree No. (1613) of 2008 of issuing Executive Regulations of Traffic law.
Law No. (131) of 1948 by issuing civil law.

Payments of insurance for damages of accidents, according to the law of compulsory insurance number (72) of 2007:

Article 8 of compulsory insurance law number 72 for the year 2007 stipulated these types of insurance According to segments of specific insurance amounts that insurance companies are committed to pay to a casualty:

The insurance company pays the amount of specified insurance for accidents referred to article (1) of this law to the deserving person or his heirs without need to recourse to courts in this regard.

The paid amount for insurance by the insurance company is forty thousand pounds in case of Death or continuing total disability, however the paid amount of insurance in cases of continuing partial disability is determined according to the extent of disability.

The paid amount of insurance regarding damages to property of others is also determined for a maximum of ten thousand pounds.

board of directors of the General Authority for Insurance Supervision determine methods and terms in which the amount of insurance is to be paid to the deserving persons according to previously mentioned cases, taking into consideration that the amount of insurance shall be paid within a month from the date in which the insurance company informed with occurrence of the accident.

Conditions for application of this article:

The vehicle, which caused the accident, shall be compulsorily insured at this company.
The insurance policy shall be valid at the time of the accident.
The accident had occurred after concluding the insurance policy according to provisions of the applicable Law, which is a month after the date of publication as follow:
The amount of forty thousand pounds in cases of death or continuing total disability.
The paid amount of insurance in cases of continuing partial disability is determined according to the extent of disability.
The paid amount of insurance for damage to property of others is also determined for maximum of ten thousand pounds.

The company is committed to pay the amount of insurance within a month from the date in which the insurance company informed with occurrence of the accident.

Documents to be submitted by a casualty to obtain the amount of insurance:

First, In Cases of Death / Total or Partial Disability:

An official copy of the death certificate.
An official copy of the notification of inherits.
An official copy of the minutes of the investigation and the medical report.
An official copy of the decision of the prosecution (certificate of register + Model 40 Prosecutions).
Notarized power of attorney up to the competent public notary office or a power of attorney legalized up to the Egyptian consulate (for foreigners).
A medical report from the Ministry of Health stamped with the seal of the Republic of Egypt to illustrate the status of the disability and its extent (in case of only total or partial disability).
Treatment bills (in the case of only total or partial disability).
Copies of national ID cards to all beneficiaries

Second, in case of damage of property:

An official copy of the minutes of the accident.
An official copy of the decision of the prosecution (certificate of register + Model 40 Prosecutions).
Report of an expert to estimating the physical damage.
Notarized power of attorney up to the competent public notary office or a power of attorney legalized up to the Egyptian consulate (for foreigners).

Insurance companies shall issue checks to all heirs individually according to the owed amount. Amounts shall be paid on cash regarding their contribution.

Conditions to pay the amount of insurance of legally eligible persons to those who represent them:

Under a special power of attorney, the amount of insurance shall be paid according to the following conditions:

To be issued at a later date subsequent to determining the amount of insurance.
The amount of insurance shall be specifically determined.
The agent shall be authorized the right to receive the amount of insurance.

In case of death or continuing total disability of a casualty because of the accident within a year:

Article (14) Of the Act states that "If the casualty died or had a continuing total disability as a result of the accident within one year from the date of occurrence of the accident and found a medical certificate states that the death or the continuing total disability were a result of that accident, the insurance company shall pay casualties or their heirs the Insurance amount of money in case of death or continuing total disability as stipulated in Article (8) of this Act or to complete the Insurance amount that had been already paid to reach this Limit "

The eligibility of a casualty for completion of the amount of compensation from the offending of accident:

If the injured has, afflicted material or moral damages that exceed those specified in this article, the casualty has the right to claim the offender according to provisions of Article 9 of the Act, which states:

“The casualty or His heirs have the right to take judicial proceedings before who caused the accident and claim him in charge of civil rights that exceed the amount of insurance.”

Accordingly, no compensation may be claimed towards the relevant insurance company in amounts in excess of the amounts provided for in Article 8, and the casualty has a limited right to claim the offending persons with supplement the amount of insurance to the amount of the appropriate compensation, and is worth mentioning here that this recent lawsuit is subject to provisions of compensation contained in civil law and derives its elements from that law, as well as adherence to result in a chapter in the criminal case in accordance with the provisions of Article 456 of criminal proceedings law.

Therefore the casualty or his heirs have the right to file a lawsuit against the offending person who caused the accident or against who is responsible for Civil rights in order to claim amounts in excess of the amount of compensation which is stated in documents, in addition to claim literary Compensation or damages, as the case.

Who is obliged to cover the compensation regarding non-insured and unknown car accidents:

In case of accidents that listed against unknown persons and unidentified cars which committed the accident, or Insurance Company that compulsory insured the car, or in case of identification of the car which committed the accident but uninsured compulsorily or accidents of Cars which are exempted from compulsory insurance, government fund was created to cover Accident's Damage caused by rapid transit vehicles in such cases, as Article (20) Of the law stipulates that:

Government fund Arises According to Article 24 of the Law No. 10 of 1981 to cover the damage caused by Accidents of rapid transit vehicles in the following cases:

Do not know the vehicle, which is responsible for the accident.
Do not have Insurance policy for the vehicle in Favour of others.
Vehicle’s accidents that are exempted from the licensing procedures.
Cases of total or partial insolvency of the Insurance Company.
Other cases that are issued by a decision of the Council of the Egyptian Authority for control of the management of insurance.

Fund Insurance pays amounts of insurance to the beneficiaries according to Article (8) of the Compulsory Insurance Law No. 72 of 2007, then fund insurance has the right, according to cases provided within articles (2 and 3) of the preceding paragraph, to claim the owner of the vehicle or the offending person who caused damage for the amount of insurance that was paid.

If, however, an accident occurred that way and is entitled as to any previously mentioned as one of the cases stipulated in that article, and referred Fund declined to cover the amount of insurance, hence an injured has the right to sue this fund to oblige it with the appropriate amount of insurance.

Procedures of claim for compensation against the government fund to cover damages resulting from rapid transit vehicles accidents:

Notify the insurance Fund about the accident within Fifteen days from the date of the accident.
Notarized power of attorney at public notary office (for Egyptians) and a power of attorney legalized up to the Egyptian consulate (for foreigners) of all or one of the heirs (beneficiaries) until the completion of proceedings.
In case of payment of amount of compensation, it is required to have a special power of attorney, which is authenticated and issued after determining the amount of compensation, which expressly stipulates to receive the amount precisely by all heirs (Beneficiaries).
In case that a car, which committed the accident, is identified, a Certificate shall be submitted about vehicle's information to provide data Describing the beginning and end of the license and insurance policy history.
The insurance Fund is not competent to address other parties to request documents such as: (prosecution, Ministry of Health, traffic departments. . . Etc.).
The amount of compensation is to be disbursed within one month from the date of fulfilling the documents.
No claims are accepted only after all required documents are met.

Pooled insurance of trains and metro:

Pooled compulsory Insurance was established for responsibilities of train and metro accidents in 2002, and that was after the famous train crash which led to death of 350 citizens, the pooled insurance handles all aspects regarding the management of insurance process for each company according to its share regarding deceased people or casualties who become totally or partially disabled as a result of an accident occurring to trains or metros.

The citizen pays the insurance premium, which is a small percentage of the price of the ticket and therefore provide all trains passengers or persons located on the sidewalks within accident's place with protection, they can claim to obtain compensation from the insurance companies.

Amounts of insurance for damage arising from trains and metro accidents:

Pooled Insurance pays amounts of Twenty thousand pounds as compensation to the family of the deceased in case of death as well as in case of permanent total disability, while in case of partial disability, the amount shall be Determined according to the extent of disability.

Documents required for the disbursement of compensation: