This result is an estimate and does not replace the report prepared by the actuarial expert appointed by the court. The actual compensation emerges only when the medical disability report, the fault expert report and the actuarial calculation are assessed together. In addition, the amount calculated here relates solely to pecuniary compensation; non-pecuniary (moral) compensation is not calculated by this formula and is determined separately at the judge's discretion.
What is traffic accident compensation and who can claim it?
Traffic accident compensation is the type of compensation that provides for the redress of harm caused to a person's body or property as a result of an accident arising from the operation of a motor vehicle. This page and calculator focus mainly on compensation tied to bodily injury (injury, disability, death).
Depending on the specific case, the persons who may claim compensation are as follows:
- The injured person: a driver, passenger or pedestrian who suffers bodily injury in the accident; may claim treatment costs, the loss of earnings arising from loss of earning capacity (disability), and non-pecuniary compensation.
- Dependants who lose support: in accidents resulting in death, relatives such as the spouse, children and parents who lose the support of the deceased may claim loss-of-support compensation and non-pecuniary compensation.
- Vehicle owner / third parties: the relevant persons for material damage to the vehicle or other property.
As a rule, compensation is claimed from the insurer within the scope and policy limit of the vehicle's Compulsory Motor Third-Party Liability Insurance (ZMSS / traffic insurance); the portion exceeding the policy limit is claimed from the vehicle's operator and/or the driver at fault. This tool offers only a preliminary estimate of the pecuniary compensation tied to the injured person's loss of earning capacity.
How is pecuniary traffic accident compensation calculated?
Under Turkish law, pecuniary (loss-of-earning-capacity) compensation tied to bodily injury is calculated using the actuarial method consistent with the current practice of the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay). The main steps of the method underlying the tool are as follows:
- Remaining life expectancy: determined according to the person's age and sex, taking the TRH-2010 National Mortality Table as the basis in current practice. The old PMF-1931 table is no longer used.
- Active period (age at accident → age 60): during this period, in which the person is treated as being of working age, the injured person's actual net income is taken as the basis as a rule. If income cannot be documented, the calculation may be made on the net minimum wage.
- Passive period (age 60 → end of remaining life expectancy): in this post-retirement period, income is calculated, as a rule, on the net minimum wage (for 2026, the monthly net minimum wage is 28,075.50 TL; gross 33,030 TL).
- Progressive annuity principle: on the assumption that annual income increases by roughly 10% each year and is discounted at the same rate, these two effects largely cancel out; thus, for each year, a value of approximately one year's income is taken into account. The previously applied 1.8% technical interest is no longer valid; as a conservative alternative, discounting may be performed at a 1.65% technical interest rate.
- Disability ratio: the sum of active- and passive-period income is multiplied by the permanent loss-of-earning-capacity (disability) ratio determined according to the medical report.
- Fault ratio: the result is reduced in proportion to the injured person's own fault; that is, the total amount is multiplied by (1 − the injured person's fault ratio).
All of these steps require expertise and are carried out in court by an actuarial expert. The web tool models the method approximately; in an actual case, the disability and fault ratios are established through separate expert reports. For an assessment specific to your situation, you can get in touch with us.
What is the legal basis of traffic accident compensation?
Liability for compensation arising from a traffic accident rests on two principal statutes:
- Highway Traffic Act No. 2918 (KTK): regulates the liability of the vehicle's operator and the enterprise owner for harm arising from the operation of a motor vehicle, compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (traffic insurance) and the insurer's direct liability. This liability is based largely on the principle of strict (hazard-based) liability.
- Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 (TBKTBKTurkish Code of Obligations No. 6098The statute behind almost every private agreement in Türkiye — contracts, liability for harm, lease, employment, agency and unjust enrichment.Glossary →): regulates the general provisions on tort liability; the scope of compensation in cases of bodily injury (treatment costs, loss of earnings, losses arising from the reduction of earning capacity), loss-of-support compensation and non-pecuniary compensation.
As a rule, compensation for bodily injury is claimed from the insurer within the scope and policy limit of the Compulsory Motor Third-Party Liability Insurance; the portion exceeding the policy limit is claimed from the vehicle's operator and the driver at fault. The application to the insurer and the litigation process may be conducted, depending on the specific case, through insurance arbitration or the courts.
How do the fault and disability ratios affect the result?
The two technical factors that most determine the outcome in traffic accident compensation are the disability ratio and the allocation of fault. These two ratios are most often the issues the parties dispute the most.
- Disability (permanent loss of earning capacity) ratio: expresses, as a percentage, the permanent loss caused to the person's earning capacity by the accident. This ratio is based on a report issued by authorised health institutions in accordance with the relevant legislation. In the compensation calculation, the total income is multiplied by this ratio; the higher the ratio, the higher the compensation.
- Fault ratio: expresses the parties' shares of fault in the occurrence of the accident and is generally determined by the fault expert's report. A deduction is made from the compensation in proportion to the injured person's own fault; for example, if the injured person is 20% at fault, the calculated amount is paid at 80%.
The calculator factors these two ratios into the multiplication using the values you enter. In an actual case, however, both ratios are established through expert reports and may change; for this reason, the tool's result is only an approximate order of magnitude.
The difference between pecuniary and non-pecuniary compensation
The compensation that may be claimed after a traffic accident falls into two main categories, and this calculator estimates only the first:
- Pecuniary compensation: covers the financially measurable losses caused by the accident. In cases of bodily injury, the principal items are treatment and care costs, the loss of earnings arising from the reduction of earning capacity (loss-of-earning-capacity compensation) and, in the event of death, loss-of-support compensation. Loss-of-earning-capacity compensation is calculated using the actuarial method described above (remaining life expectancy, income, disability, fault).
- Non-pecuniary compensation: aims to redress non-material harm such as the pain, distress and grief caused by the accident. Non-pecuniary compensation is not calculated by a formula; the judge determines it by assessing the features of the event, the parties' fault, their economic situation and the severity of the harm.
For this reason, the amount you obtain from the tool is only an estimate relating to pecuniary (loss-of-earning-capacity) compensation; non-pecuniary compensation is not included in it and is claimed separately. Which items you may claim, from which party and by which route, varies according to your file.
This page is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. The calculator is an estimate; it does not replace the report of the actuarial expert appointed by the court. For an assessment specific to your situation, you can get in touch with us.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time limit for traffic accident compensation?
As a rule, a compensation claim becomes time-barred 2 years from the date the injured party learns of the harm and of the responsible person (the perpetrator), and in any event within 10 years from the date of the accident. However, if the accident also constitutes a criminal offence and a longer prosecution time limit is provided for in the criminal laws, this longer criminal time limit also applies to the compensation claim. Because the moment at which the time limits begin to run may vary from file to file, it is important to have your case assessed without delay.
What documents are required for a compensation claim?
Although this varies according to the specific case, the typical documents are: the accident report, traffic and judicial records, all medical documents relating to the hospital and treatment and the disability report, documents showing income status (payslip, tax record, social security service statement), the vehicle and policy details (the ZMSS policy), and, in the event of death, civil registry records and the certificate of inheritance. Because missing documents can prolong the process, it is advisable to compile the file with a lawyer before applying.
How long does the traffic accident compensation process take?
The duration varies depending on whether you proceed by applying to the insurer or directly through litigation/insurance arbitration, on the time taken to prepare the disability and fault reports, and on the caseload. Applications made to the insurer are expected to be concluded within certain periods; when the dispute is taken to litigation or arbitration, the process may take longer because of the expert examinations. It is not possible to give a definite duration; each file is assessed on its own circumstances.
How is the fault ratio determined?
The fault ratio shows the parties' shares of fault according to how the accident occurred and is established, as a rule, by the fault expert's report. The accident report, scene-examination data, witness statements and any camera footage are taken as the basis in this assessment. A deduction is made from the compensation in proportion to the injured person's own fault. The expert report can be challenged, and the ratio may change during the proceedings.
Is compensation calculated on the minimum wage?
Not always. In the active period (from the age at the accident up to age 60), the person's actual net income is taken as the basis as a rule; if income cannot be documented, the net minimum wage may be used. In the passive period (from age 60 to the end of remaining life expectancy), income is calculated, as a rule, on the net minimum wage. In other words, the minimum wage usually comes into play only in certain periods and situations.
Is the result of this calculator definitive?
No. The tool is an estimate that approximately models the current actuarial method and does not replace the report prepared by the actuarial expert appointed by the court. The actual compensation emerges from the joint assessment of the medical disability report, the fault expert report and the actuarial calculation. Treat the result not as a binding amount but as an idea of the order of magnitude.
I am a foreigner or live abroad; can I claim compensation in Turkey?
Foreigners who suffer bodily injury in a traffic accident occurring in Turkey can also, as a rule, claim compensation under Turkish law. The process can be conducted through a lawyer in Turkey by means of a power of attorney, and for most steps you do not need to be present in the country in person. Additional steps may be required on points such as the translation of documents and the assessment of foreign income records; the details are determined according to your file.
Is non-pecuniary compensation included in the calculated amount?
No. This tool estimates only pecuniary (loss-of-earning-capacity) compensation. Non-pecuniary compensation is not calculated by a formula; the judge determines it separately by assessing the features of the event, the parties' fault and the severity of the harm. Accordingly, your non-pecuniary compensation claim is asserted in addition to the amount you obtain from the tool.
