When should you consult mattheva assistance during an accident abroad?
As soon as the first difficulties appear relating either to the cost of care or to the respect of your rights as a victim. It should be noted here that in several countries, the implementation of legal action (or an amicable or transactional approach) is framed by very short deadlines. It is therefore appropriate for you as a victim or those around you to be extremely vigilant, and to call on Mattheva Assistance as soon as possible, in order to be certain of not leaving a right to prescribe.
For fair and complete compensation for your damages during an accident abroad, it is essential to determine
The legal or amicable remedy to be implemented
The lawyer from the Mattheva Assistance network who will accompany you during this phase will have the task of determining the best recourse(s) to implement in order to best defend your interests. You may potentially benefit from a right of action both in France, under certain contractual or legal rights, and in the country where the damage occurred.
Then Analyze your rights according to the rules applicable in the country where the damage was suffered and those in force in France
Chaque pays est doté de règles juridiques propres. Cela est vrai tant en ce qui concerne les droits et obligations de chacun que la procédure à respecter pour en demander la sanction par un tribunal. Ainsi, il sera parfois grandement préjudiciable à une victime blessée dans un pays autre que son pays de résidence habituelle d’entreprendre des démarches juridiques sans connaître les droits dont elle aurait pu se prévaloir dans l’autre pays.
It is important to be aware of the existence of these laws and to master their mechanisms in order to be able to take advantage of the rights resulting from them, but also to be able to request, if necessary, compensation outside the scale for the excess, by setting up the recourse appropriate.
The limitation period is 10 years from the consolidation of the damage in France
Le mode de preuve peut varier :
En France, la preuve se fait essentiellement par écrit ou attestation, pratiquement jamais en témoignant oralement devant le Tribunal ; Dans les pays anglo-saxons, la preuve au procès se fait le plus souvent au moyen d’un témoignage personnel apporté devant le juge. L’Avocat du réseau Mattheva assistance qui s’occupe de la personne blessée aura un rôle différent en fonction du pays où il évolue, puisque les démarches nécessaires pour faire valoir vos droits sont différentes.
Les montants d’indemnisation pouvant être obtenus varient très fortement d’un pays à l’autre : Entre un régime d’indemnisation résultant de l’application d’une loi dite du no fault, indemnisant de manière souvent non intégrale l’ensemble des victimes d’un dommage corporel donné, et la réparation obtenue devant un jury américain par exemple, pouvant atteindre des sommes très conséquentes, surtout lorsqu’elle intègre le versement de dommages punitifs, chaque pays offre aux victimes des voies de recours distinctes, présentant chacune des avantages et des inconvénients.
It is up to the Lawyer of the Mattheva Assistance network to advise you as best as possible on the most appropriate recourse.
Implement the rights you have in France, if applicable
The fact that the accident occurred abroad does not deprive you, far from it, of the possibility of asserting some of your rights in France, to obtain compensation for the damage suffered. We will limit ourselves here to citing the two most frequent illustrations. On the one hand, the French victim injured abroad may be compensated according to the assessment of common law by submitting a request to the Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Criminal Offenses (CIVI). However, this assumes that the injuries were caused as a result of the commission of a criminal offence, even if no prosecution has been initiated in the country where the accident occurred.
The assessment of damages will then be made according to the criteria and standards of French law. You therefore understand that before setting up a procedure before the CIVI, you or those around you will benefit from finding out about the rights you may have in the country where the accident occurred.
The assessment of damages will then be made according to the criteria and standards of law. In a country like the United States, for example, compensation for non-economic damages such as moral damages, suffering endured, functional deficits and damage to accreditation are compensated according to standards that are very much higher than those currently in force under French law. French. You therefore understand that before setting up a procedure before the CIVI, you or those around you will benefit from finding out about the rights you may have in the country where the accident occurred.
On the other hand, you as a victim could benefit from exercising the rights you have under an insurance contract. These insurance contracts can be individual or collective, and provide, for example, foresight benefits, coverage of health expenses not covered by social security, or even the payment of compensation or capital in the event of disability or of deceased.
Again, the need to quickly identify the contractual rights you have as a victim cannot be overemphasized so that you do not face foreclosure later.
Refer you to a lawyer from the Mattheva network in the country where the damage occurred.
We have discussed the benefits of taking legal action in the country where the accident occurred. In many situations, this will be the only or the best way to obtain full and fair compensation for the damages suffered. The amount of compensation that can be obtained, and the means to be implemented to safeguard your interests, vary greatly from one country to another.
It therefore seems essential to have a competent lawyer practicing in the country where the damage occurred to obtain an opinion on your rights in the event of an appeal in the foreign country concerned and to have a lawyer also in France for compensation from the CIVI where applicable.
Mattheva Assistance alongside the French to assert their rights to compensation following an accident, even abroad!
