STARTING JULY 1st Simplified procedures for the payment of insurance policies in the case of small traffic accidents

• Insurers have signed a collaboration protocol concerning the amicable accident report

Andreea Arăboaei

Insurance company representatives who offer mandatory car insurance policies yesterday signed the Collaboration protocol for amicable accident reporting in the case of civil liability insurance for car owners, according to a press release by the Insurance Supervisory Commission (CSA).

The document is required for the implementation of the Norms concerning the use of the Amicable Accident Report, because it sets up explicit procedures for determining the right of policy holders to receive compensation for owners/users of the vehicles that were involved in an accident, the Commission informs.

The amicable evaluation procedure will be applicable to any traffic accidents occurring on Romanian territory, for which the outcome consisted only of material damages, and will help simplify the procedure that the claimants had to go through before obtaining the indemnity they were entitled to based on their RCA (auto liability insurance) policy.

Angela Toncescu, chairman of the Insurance Supervisory Commission, said: "The signing of the protocol proves that insurers are ready to apply the amicable evaluation procedure and that the July 1st, 2009 deadline that we set for the coming into effect of the norms will be met. Thus, thanks to teamwork and the direct involvement of the Insurance Supervisory Commission in the drafting of the protocol, Romania will align itself with European insurance practices, in this respect, as well".

The collaboration protocol for the amicable accident report states the eligibility criteria for the awarding of the insurance claims, as well as the guidelines for the practical application of the procedure, presenting a complete argumentation based on the Romanian traffic regulations and the French insurance practice. This argumentation takes considers all the possible collision situations that may occur in traffic, as well as the methodology used for determining the civil liability in the event of such accident, the Insurance Supervisory Commission said.

The protocol also provides the method for the amicable solving of any eventual disagreements between insurers on the matter of civil liabilities, by providing them with the option to resort to a Mediation Commission.