Easier claim for MTPL compensation: what does the new procedure mean for RTS victims?
From July 1, 2026, a new procedure has been introduced for cases where a road traffic accident was caused by a vehicle without MTPL. In such cases, the victim no longer needs to look for where to submit a claim for compensation for damages - they can submit it to their MTPL insurer. On the other hand, if the victim does not have MTPL himself, for example, the injured pedestrian, passenger or cyclist, he can choose any insurer that offers MTPL in Latvia.
The new procedure applies to those accidents in which compensation is payable from LTAB Guarantee Fund. Most often, these are accidents caused by a vehicle without MTPL or an unidentified vehicle (applies only to damage caused to a person's health). The Guarantee Fund also intervenes if the responsible insurer cannot be identified, the insurer has become insolvent, as well as in certain cases of accidents that occurred abroad. Compensation to the victim is still covered by the Guarantee Fund - what changes is that the victim's case is handled by the insurer of his choice.
"In the event of a traffic accident caused by a vehicle without MTPL, the insurer chosen by the victim will henceforth be the main point of contact, which will accept the application, organize the assessment of the damage, inform about the decision made and pay compensation. After that LTAB "will reimburse the insurer for both the amount paid to the victim and the justified expenses of administering the case," the new procedure describes LTAB Board member Juris Stengrevics.
“Until now, the victim had to submit a claim for compensation only to the insurer that administered the LTAB cases, and this insurer may not have been easily accessible at the victim's place of residence. Now a person can use the customer service channels of an already known insurer. Since all OCTA insurers participate in the administration of cases, and not just three companies as before, the load will be distributed more evenly and the process should become smoother - accordingly, compensation to victims could be paid out faster," explains J. Stengrevics. It is important to note that the new procedure does not apply to all OCTA accidents. If the vehicle that caused the damage has a valid OCTA and its insurer is known, compensation is still claimed under the general procedure from the insurer of the at-fault vehicle. On the other hand, if it is not clear which insurer is responsible for the case, you can contact any OCTA insurer - by contacting LTAB, the correct application procedure must be clarified and the victim must be informed about it.
