Two sides to the loss
Financial. Treatment, medicines, rehabilitation, aids and equipment, travel to appointments, care by others, lost income, and where there are lasting effects, reduced earning capacity going forward.
Non-financial. Pain and suffering, the limits on daily life, the inability to do things you used to do, lasting effects and scarring.
The second is most often understated in a first settlement offer, because there is no invoice for it.
The documentation decides
Compensation is proved through medical records, not through a description of how hard it was.
So: keep everything from the first day, referrals and prescriptions included. Insist that your complaints are written down, even when the doctor is in a hurry. Attend the follow-up appointments even if you feel better, because interrupted treatment is read against you.
If there are lasting effects, photograph the progression with dates.
Do not sign the first settlement
The offer comes early and feels like relief. But the signature usually means nothing further can be claimed.
In the first weeks the final extent of the harm is not yet known. So the offer is reviewed before signing, not after.
Where the compensation comes from
It depends on the case: the insurer of the person at fault, an employer’s insurance, the liability of a particular person or of an institution. Sometimes there is more than one route and not all of them are obvious.
If it happened in a road accident, see road accident compensation. If at work, see workplace accidents.
If you are a foreign national injured in Bulgaria
You do not need to stay here for the file to move. It is handled through a power of attorney and documents, medical records from your own country included.
What I will need
The complete medical file. The police report or case file if one was opened. Details of the person at fault and the insurer. Receipts and invoices. Photographs. Witnesses, if there were any.
This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Rights and deadlines depend on the facts and the applicable law.