Based on the legal framework of EU Directive 2000/26/EC, a person who has been injured in an accident abroad may claim compensation for material damage or bodily injury based on the legislation of the country where the accident occurred, when they return to their place of permanent residence, in their own language and through procedures with which they are familiar.
The International Insurance Office (9 Xenofontos Street, 10557 Athens, tel. 210 3236562 – email compbody@mib-hellas.gr) and the Auxiliary Fund N.P.I.D. (5 Ypatia Street, 10557 Athens – tel. 210 3327490 – email: i.c@epikef.gr) has been designated as the information center.
Furthermore, in accordance with the EU Directive, each insurance company was required to appoint a Claims Representative in each EU country to settle their claims. All Claims Representatives of the companies are registered with the respective Information Centers, which interested parties can contact in order to find out who the claims representative is for the insurance company that insured the vehicle that caused them damage.
However, for the provisions of the 4th Directive and Presidential Decree 10/2003 to apply, liability must be indisputable and no lawsuit must have been filed against the insurance company of the vehicle at fault.
The injured party must submit a claim for compensation at their place of residence, to the insurance company of the vehicle that caused the accident or to the Claims Representative, who will be informed by the Information Center. The claims representatives of foreign insurance companies in Greece under the 4th Directive are listed on the website of the Greek Information Center.
If, within three months, the injured party does not receive a reasoned reply or there is no Claims Representative, then he/she submits an application to the Compensation Body of the country where he/she resides and, after a period of two months, that body shall settle the claim in accordance with the law of the country of the accident and pay compensation, if required to do so.
Furthermore, the injured party does not have the right to sue the Compensation Body in court under the provisions of the 4th Directive or Presidential Decree 10/2003.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Compensation Body is also responsible for compensating injured parties who reside in an EU country and have suffered damage in another Member State:
from a vehicle whose identity cannot be identified,in cases where the identity of the insurance company of the vehicle that caused the accident cannot be established,in cases of uninsured vehicles from third countries whose National Bureau of Motor Insurers has joined the Green Card system.
