The conditions of your compensation
- The accident must have occurredeither in mainland France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion Island, or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
- The accident must involve one or more uninsured or unidentified persons.
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- You cannot be at fault in the accident.
- You are a French national or your primary residence is on French Republic territory.
> If you were a victim
> If you were the beneficiary
IMPORTANT :
Material damage cannot be compensated by the guarantee fund for victims.
Documents to provide
- the compensation claim form,
- a photocopy of the ID card, passport, or residency permit,
- a photocopy of the police report (if this document is not in your possession, indicate the contact details of the authority that prepared it), failing which, an accident report accompanied by one or more witness accounts,
- the initial medical certificate describing the injuries (the first certificate normally prepared on the day of the accident by the hospital or the attending doctor),
- possibly the recovery certificate or a medical certificate indicating consolidation,
- proof of loss of income (refer to the form),
- proof of medical or hospitalisation expenses incurred and reimbursements from welfare agencies.
In the event of the death of a loved one :
- the bill for funeral costs and the amount of money paid by welfare agencies,
- family record book, notarial act, for the beneficiaries, or any document proving the degree of kinship with the deceased person,
- proof of the economic loss suffered.
How soon should you send your claim ?
In general, it is in your interest to send your claim to the Guarantee Fund for Victims as soon as possible (most of the time, your insurer will take care of this).
At-fault party identified :
However, if you wish to take direct action with the person who caused the accident in order to obtain compensation or if you have already chosen to do so (simple negotiations or legal action), you will have one year from either the negotiation with the person who caused the accident or the final court decision to file your compensation claim with the Guarantee Fund for Victims.
Please note that in this case you have a maximum of 5 years to undertake this direct process with the at-fault party.
At-fault party not identified :
You have a maximum of three years from the date of the accident to submit your claim to the Guarantee Fund for Victims.