Written by Onur Arslan, personal injury lawyer at Arslan Advocaten. Registered in the legal practice areas register of the Netherlands Bar for employment law and personal injury. Last updated: 31 August 2026.
In short: Arslan Advocaten assists accident victims in The Hague from Paletplein 80, 2526 GZ Den Haag. The first assessment of your case is free of charge. Where another party is liable, the reasonable costs of our assistance are in principle paid by that party or its insurer (Article 6:96(2) Dutch Civil Code). We work in Dutch, Turkish, Polish and English. Call 070 4500 300 or email [email protected].
What does a personal injury lawyer in The Hague cost?
Where another party's liability is established, the reasonable costs of your legal assistance are in principle borne by that liable party, as a separate head of loss alongside the rest of your claim. That is the most overlooked fact in the whole of personal injury practice, and the reason we deliberately put this question at the top of this page: people forgo expert assistance because they assume it is unaffordable, while the law in fact counts those costs among the recoverable loss.
The basis is Article 6:96(2) of the Dutch Civil Code (BW), which also treats as financial loss: the reasonable costs of preventing or limiting loss (sub a), the reasonable costs of establishing loss and liability (sub b) and the reasonable costs of obtaining satisfaction out of court (sub c). The word "reasonable" is embedded twice: it must be reasonable that you incur costs, and the amount of those costs must be reasonable — the so-called double reasonableness test. Note that paragraph 3 provides that sub b and c do not apply in so far as the costs rules of Article 241 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Rv) apply; in court proceedings the ordinary fixed-scale costs therefore apply.
There are therefore conditions attached to that reimbursement, and one phase falls outside it: as long as liability has not been admitted, there is no party paying yet. It is precisely about that phase that you should make arrangements in advance.
| How it is funded | How it works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Costs borne by the liable party | where liability is admitted, your reasonable costs are reimbursed as a head of loss | before admission there is no cover yet; make arrangements about that phase |
| Legal expenses insurance | your policy covers the case | under Article 4:67 of the Financial Supervision Act (Wft) the policy must expressly provide that you may choose your own lawyer to represent your interests in judicial or administrative proceedings, or where there is a conflict of interest. The Court of Justice of the EU interprets this broadly: the insurer may not make that right of choice dependent on its own assessment that external assistance is necessary (CJEU 7 November 2013, C-442/12, Sneller/DAS) |
| State-funded legal aid | a toevoeging through the Legal Aid Board, with a personal contribution | income and asset limits apply; often not needed in personal injury cases |
| Joining the criminal proceedings | free of charge | only where a criminal offence is involved, and limited to straightforward claims |
| Violent Offences Compensation Fund | an application can be made without a lawyer | a contribution, not full compensation |
| Hourly rate | paid privately | ask in advance for an estimate and for interim arrangements |
You can have your situation assessed by us free of charge before you decide anything. That first conversation is about three questions: is there a liable party, is your claim still in time, and what is needed to map out your loss. After that you know where you stand — even if the outcome is that you do not need us.
Where is Arslan Advocaten in The Hague?
Our Hague office is at Paletplein 80, 2526 GZ Den Haag, reachable by telephone on 070 4500 300 and by e-mail at [email protected]. We also have a second office in The Hague at Goeverneurlaan 445, 2523 CB.
Both addresses are in The Hague South, outside the city centre — a practical advantage for clients with injuries: you can reach them by car without having to enter the busy inner city, and both are accessible by HTM public transport. Anyone who is unsteady on their feet after an accident, or depends on a relative for transport, notices that difference immediately.
If your injuries prevent you from travelling, let us know. A first discussion can take place by telephone or video call, and in cases of serious injury we come to you — at home, at the rehabilitation centre or in hospital. That is not a special service but a necessity: the first conversation must take place before you make any arrangements with an insurer, not afterwards.
| Detail | The Hague office |
|---|---|
| Address | Paletplein 80, 2526 GZ Den Haag |
| Second office | Goeverneurlaan 445, 2523 CB Den Haag |
| Telephone | 070 4500 300 |
| [email protected] | |
| Languages | Dutch, Turkish, Polish and English |
| First assessment | free of charge |
Arslan Advocaten is a full-service firm with over thirty lawyers and legal staff, with full offices in The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Tilburg. For your case that mainly means the personal injury team does not stand alone: if your case spills over into a dismissal issue, a benefits dispute or criminal proceedings against the person who caused the accident, you do not have to go to another firm for that.
Which court hears a personal injury case from The Hague?
Cases from The Hague are heard by the District Court of The Hague, which sits in the Palace of Justice at Prins Clauslaan 60 in The Hague; appeals go to the Court of Appeal of The Hague. The Hague district covers the northern part of South Holland and comprises thirty-five municipalities, divided over three regions: The Hague, Leiden and Gouda.
For your case that is less abstract than it sounds. Where your case is heard depends not only on where the accident happened, but above all on where the other party is established or lives — and on whether your case belongs before the subdistrict court (kantonrechter) or the civil court.
| Matter | Where it is dealt with in principle |
|---|---|
| District Court of The Hague, civil cases | Palace of Justice, Prins Clauslaan 60, The Hague |
| Subdistrict cases from The Hague, Delft, Rijswijk, Zoetermeer, Westland and surroundings | The Hague location |
| Subdistrict cases from the Leiden region | Leiden hearing location |
| Subdistrict cases from the Gouda region | Gouda hearing location |
| Appeal | Court of Appeal of The Hague |
The Delft and Alphen aan den Rijn locations were closed in 2013. Cases running there were transferred to The Hague and Gouda respectively. If you live in Delft or Rijswijk, the court in The Hague is therefore your court.
More important than which court is the question of whether you will end up there at all. The vast majority of personal injury cases are settled without a judge, in negotiation with the liability insurer. Where it does come to court, in personal injury cases that is often not full proceedings but a preliminary-issue procedure (deelgeschil): a short procedure about one defined point of dispute, for example liability, the choice of expert or the level of non-material damages.
Its costs rule is set out in Article 1019aa Rv: in its decision the court assesses the costs on the side of the person suffering loss through death or injury, taking into account all reasonable costs within the meaning of Article 6:96(2) BW. Those costs therefore count as a head of loss, not as legal costs. That makes the threshold for putting a deadlocked discussion to the court in The Hague considerably lower than people think.
Which accidents are most common in The Hague?
The Hague combines a very dense tram and bus network, a large share of cyclists and pedestrians, and a number of busy urban through roads — a combination that produces typical urban traffic injuries: collisions at junctions, rear-end collisions on arterial roads and accidents between motorised traffic and vulnerable road users. The region's economy is also strongly oriented towards government, healthcare, construction, logistics and horticulture, which translates into its own category of workplace accidents.
We deliberately quote no accident statistics per street or district here. Such figures circulate widely, are rarely current and say nothing about your own case. What is useful is the pattern: where in this city do the disputes about liability arise.
| Situation | What is at play in The Hague | Where the discussion gets stuck |
|---|---|---|
| Collision at an urban junction | many equal-priority junctions, tram tracks and mixed traffic | who had right of way; witness statements diverge |
| Cyclist or pedestrian struck | a high share of cycling traffic, including commuting towards the centre | the insurer raises contributory negligence |
| Accident involving the tram and bus network | a dense HTM network running straight through residential areas | the carrier's involvement and the role of other road users |
| Rear-end collision on an arterial road | traffic entering and leaving the A4, A12 and A13 | fault usually clear; the discussion shifts immediately to the injury |
| Fall due to a defective pavement, drain cover or street furniture | many older districts with subsided paving | is the municipality liable as road authority, and could you have looked more carefully |
| Workplace accident in construction, logistics or horticulture | the city's building programme, regional distribution, greenhouse horticulture in the Westland | who was the employer, and did the duty of care also apply to an agency worker or freelancer |
| Accident on or near the beach and coast | seasonal crowds towards Scheveningen and Kijkduin | hospitality venues, events and equipment hire firms |
| Violent crime | big-city problems | the offender is unknown or without means |
What these cases have in common is not how they happened but the stage at which they go wrong. In virtually every case liability is clear within a few weeks, and the rest of the process — sometimes years — is about which part of your symptoms can be attributed to the accident and what those symptoms cost you. That is where a case is won or lost.
I was hit in The Hague as a cyclist or pedestrian — what is my position?
As a cyclist or pedestrian you enjoy special protection in traffic against motor vehicles: the owner or keeper of a motor vehicle bears strict liability, even without any fault on their part. That is the most important legal rule for anyone injured while cycling or on foot in a city like The Hague.
Article 185 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 (WVW 1994) imposes that liability on the owner or keeper of a motor vehicle for damage to persons or property not carried by that vehicle, "unless it is plausible that the accident was due to force majeure". Force majeure is a demanding standard: the fact that the driver did not see you is not enough.
In addition there are the so-called 50% and 100% rules of thumb. These do not appear in the statute itself; they were developed in the case law of the Supreme Court. Their essence is that part of a vulnerable road user's loss remains at the expense of the motorised party even where there was some inattention on their own part, and that children are protected further still.
Where it goes wrong in practice. The insurer admits liability and then presses hard on contributory negligence: you went through a red light, you were looking at your phone, you crossed away from the crossing, you had no bicycle lights. The apportionment that follows is not a law of nature but a negotiated outcome, and with serious injury the difference between 25% and 50% contributory negligence quickly amounts to a large sum. So never agree to a percentage before how the accident happened has been established.
Practically, and particularly relevant in a busy city: have a police report drawn up, even if you think it is not serious. Note down the names of bystanders as you get into the ambulance, or ask someone to do it for you. And keep your bicycle, helmet and clothing — damaged material is evidence of the impact you absorbed.
I was injured at work in the The Hague region — what now?
In a workplace accident your position as an employee is strong in law: the employer is liable in principle, unless he proves that he complied with his duty of care. The burden of proof therefore does not lie with you.
Article 7:658(2) BW: the employer is liable "unless he proves that he complied with the obligations referred to in paragraph 1, or that the damage was substantially the result of intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of the employee". Deliberate recklessness is a high threshold; clumsiness, routine or tiredness do not fall within it.
That protection reaches beyond the permanent employment relationship. Article 7:658(4) BW extends it to anyone "who, in the course of his profession or business, has work performed by a person with whom he has no employment contract" — that covers agency workers and hired-in self-employed contractors in principle. Whether a self-employed contractor can rely on it in a specific case depends on the circumstances. In a region with a great deal of agency work in construction, distribution and horticulture, that is a provision that often makes the difference.
Report the accident, and do not leave the reporting to your employer. The duty to report is set out in Article 9(1) of the Working Conditions Act (Arbeidsomstandighedenwet): the employer must report workplace accidents resulting in death, permanent injury or hospital admission immediately to the supervisory authority — in practice the Netherlands Labour Authority. In addition, under paragraph 2 he keeps a list of reported accidents and of accidents leading to more than three working days' absence. If your employer does not report it, report it yourself: the inspection report is often the most important piece of evidence in your file later on.
What we most often see go wrong in this type of case: the employee does not want to sour the relationship with his employer and waits. Months later the situation on the shop floor has been changed, the colleagues who saw it have moved on and there is no inspection report. The claim is not against your employer personally but against his liability insurer; that is exactly what that insurance exists for.
What are you entitled to after an accident?
Your loss consists of two parts: material loss — all your demonstrable financial disadvantage — and non-material damages, the compensation for suffering that carries no price tag. Together they make up your total loss, and with serious injury the material loss is usually by far the largest.
That distinction is explained sloppily almost everywhere, with the result that people think "compensation for pain and suffering" is another word for "compensation". It is not. Anyone negotiating only over the non-material figure as a rule leaves the greater part of their loss on the table.
What falls under material loss is broader than most victims suspect:
| Head of loss | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Loss of earning capacity | income missed now and in the future, including missed promotions and pension accrual |
| Medical costs | policy excess, treatments, medication, aids |
| Domestic help | what you can no longer do yourself |
| Care and nursing | including where relatives take this on |
| Adaptations | home, car, workplace |
| Travel costs | to practitioners, expert examinations and the hospital |
| Study delay | for pupils and students |
| Loss of DIY capacity | odd jobs, garden and maintenance you can no longer do yourself |
| Out-of-court costs | the costs of your lawyer and medical adviser |
The practical importance of this: an insurer offering "a decent sum for the suffering" is thereby offering nothing for your loss of income, nothing for the help your partner takes over at home and nothing for the jobs you no longer do yourself. An offer that is not itemised per head of loss cannot be assessed — and therefore cannot be accepted.
How much compensation for pain and suffering will I get?
Non-material damages are assessed on an equitable basis taking all the circumstances of the case into account, with the nature and severity of the injury weighing heaviest and the outcome calibrated against previously awarded cases. There is no tariff per type of injury and no calculator that works this out.
The statutory basis is Article 6:106 BW: for loss that does not consist of financial loss, the injured party is entitled to compensation to be assessed on an equitable basis, including where he has suffered physical injury, has been harmed in his honour or reputation or has otherwise been affected in his person. Where physical injury results from an accident there is therefore an entitlement in principle, provided liability is established. The discussion is almost never about whether there are non-material damages, but about how much.
The factors that make the difference in practice:
| Factor | Why it counts |
|---|---|
| Nature and severity of the injury | the starting point; how far your body has been affected |
| Duration of recovery | months of pain and treatment weigh differently from years |
| Permanent limitations | what you can definitively no longer do; usually the heaviest factor |
| Age | a young victim in principle carries the consequences for life |
| Consequences for work | losing a profession that defined your identity weighs heavily |
| Consequences for family and relationships | caring roles, parenthood, independence |
| Hobbies and social life | losing sport, music, travel, voluntary work |
| Visibility of the injury | scars and disfigurement carry their own, permanent weight |
| Number and severity of procedures | operations, rehabilitation, admissions, painful treatments |
What stands out about that list: most factors are not about the injury but about the life around it. A wrist that no longer bends fully means something different to a surgeon, a violinist and an administrative assistant. For that reason we almost always ask clients for a description of an average day before the accident and an average day now. In negotiations that document is often more persuasive than the medical report, because a medical report only names limitations and not what those limitations cost.
We deliberately quote no amounts per type of injury on this page. Figures circulating online are often out of date, taken out of context or drawn from another country — and are almost always either too high, leading to disappointment, or too low, causing people to accept a poor offer. A realistic estimate can only be given once the injury has medically crystallised.
Read on: non-material damages in personal injury cases and personal injury amounts and non-material damages: examples.
I have whiplash after a collision — will that be accepted?
With whiplash there is an entitlement to compensation in principle, but this is the type of injury insurers push back on hardest, because there is usually no visible abnormality on scans. The core of a whiplash case is not the diagnosis but making plausible a consistent, credible and unfeigned pattern of complaints caused by the accident.
It is accepted in case law that establishing complaints does not in every case require an objectively demonstrable medical abnormality. The starting point comes from Supreme Court 8 June 2001, ECLI:NL:HR:2001:AB2054 (Zwolsche Algemeene/De Greef): no unduly high demands may be placed on the evidence for such complaints, and an objectively established medical abnormality is not always required, provided the complaints are real and not imagined, feigned or exaggerated.
What makes a whiplash case strong:
| Element | Why it counts |
|---|---|
| Early medical recording | complaints that only surface months later are harder to attribute |
| Consistency over time | the same complaints at the GP, physiotherapist, company doctor and expert examination |
| Absence of an alternative explanation | no comparable medical history or concurrent cause |
| Demonstrable loss of functioning | sick leave, adapted work, abandoned hobbies, help at home |
| Neuropsychological assessment | for concentration and memory complaints |
What insurers push for: a personal investigation, an extensive request for your complete medical history, and the argument that the complaints have another cause or that you would have dropped out even without the accident. You do not simply have to agree to that request for your full medical records; the scope of what is disclosed is negotiable and as a rule runs through a medical adviser.
How long do I have to claim my personal injury loss?
For loss caused by injury or death a single period applies: five years, counted from the day after the day on which you became aware both of the loss and of the person liable for it. The absolute twenty-year limit that applies to other claims for damages expressly does not apply to injury and fatal-accident claims. This follows from Article 3:310(5) BW, which departs from the main rule of paragraph 1 on this point.
The period therefore does not automatically start on the day of the accident. Where injury only becomes apparent later — or where the liable party only becomes known later — the period may start later.
| Situation | Where the period in principle starts |
|---|---|
| Road accident with a known other party | at the accident |
| Injury that only comes to light later | on becoming aware of the loss and the liable party |
| Minor victim | Article 3:310(5) BW: if the victim was a minor on the day the loss and the liable party became known, the five-year period only starts on the day after reaching the age of majority |
| Injury caused by a criminal offence | Article 3:310(4) BW: where the event is a criminal offence to which Dutch criminal law applies, the claim against the offender does not become time-barred as long as the right to prosecute has not lapsed through limitation or the offender's death |
| Direct claim against the motor insurer | Article 6 of the Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) gives the injured party a direct right against the insurer; Article 10(1) WAM makes that claim time-barred after three years from the event causing the loss — so much shorter, and without any awareness requirement |
Interrupting the limitation period is simple and sensible. A written communication in which you unequivocally reserve your right to performance in principle starts a fresh period. If you are unsure whether your claim is still in time, have that assessed before you do anything else — a time-barred claim cannot be rescued, however strong the case is on the merits.
What is the difference between a personal injury lawyer and a personal injury agency?
A lawyer (advocaat) is registered with the Netherlands Bar, falls under disciplinary rules and is the only one who can litigate on your behalf; a personal injury agency or adviser can handle your case out of court but cannot take the step to court itself. In The Hague people search for both terms, and the distinction matters precisely where things become difficult.
| Personal injury lawyer | Personal injury agency or adviser | |
|---|---|---|
| Can litigate before the District Court | yes | no, only subdistrict cases through an authorised representative |
| Disciplinary rules and professional liability | yes, through the Netherlands Bar | depends on any quality marks |
| Duty of confidentiality and legal professional privilege | yes | more limited |
| Preliminary-issue procedure | can file it directly | no |
| Costs where liability is admitted | in principle borne by the liable party | in principle likewise |
| No-cure-no-pay arrangements | subject to strict rules | more common; check the percentage |
This is not an argument against agencies: a straightforward collision with admitted liability and full recovery within a few months can perfectly well be settled out of court. It becomes different once there is permanent injury, contributory negligence is raised, liability is disputed or the process stalls on one point. That is precisely when it counts whether your representative can actually take the step to the court in The Hague — and whether the other side knows that they can.
Also pay attention to the funding arrangement. If you are charged a percentage of your eventual compensation while the liable party already reimburses your reasonable costs, you are effectively paying twice. Ask about that explicitly, and ask for it in writing.
How does your personal injury case proceed, step by step?
In principle you report the accident, hold the liable party liable in writing, your injury is assessed medically, and a negotiation process with the insurer follows that in most cases ends in a settlement. Only a small proportion of cases ultimately reach a judge.
- Reporting and recording. Police in the case of a road accident or offence; the employer and, where necessary, the Netherlands Labour Authority in the case of a workplace accident. Record the scene with photographs and note down the names of witnesses.
- Notice of liability. A written letter holding the other party liable, describing how the accident happened and interrupting the limitation period. Its wording partly determines what the discussion will be about for the rest of the process.
- Response and admission. The insurer admits liability, rejects the claim or asks for further investigation. In personal injury practice there are agreed standards on the deadlines within which a response must be given.
- Medical stage. Your medical adviser assesses your situation. Where views differ, an independent medical expert examination follows, preferably with a jointly chosen expert and jointly agreed questions. Those questions steer the outcome; do not sign off on them without having had influence over them.
- Advance payment. Where liability is admitted an advance is customary, so that you do not have to wait years for the final settlement. Particularly if your injuries have put you out of work, this is the point at which the financial pressure eases.
- Quantification and negotiation. Your heads of loss are substantiated, the non-material damages are argued on the basis of comparable cases, and negotiations follow.
- Preliminary-issue procedure. If matters stall on one defined point, that procedure lets the court — for Hague cases the District Court of The Hague — rule on that one point without litigating the whole case.
- Full proceedings. If the dispute remains unresolvable, ordinary proceedings before the court remain.
- Settlement agreement. The settlement is recorded, as a rule with a full and final discharge. Read it carefully: after that the case is in principle closed.
Where a violent offence is involved, a second track often runs in parallel: joining the criminal proceedings as an injured party. That is free of charge and can lead to a compensation order under which the state advances the amount if the offender does not pay. There is also the Violent Offences Compensation Fund (Schadefonds Geweldsmisdrijven), a state contribution for victims of an intentional violent offence causing serious injury, which also pays out where the offender is unknown or without means. The application period is set out in Article 7 of the Violent Offences Compensation Fund Act: an application must be submitted within ten years of the day on which the offence was committed.
Why is the insurer's first offer rarely the final offer?
An insurer serves the interests of its insured and of its own claims burden, and in practice a first offer is an opening bid — not a calculation of what you are entitled to. That is not a reproach: it is the role an insurer has in this system. It only becomes a problem when a victim believes the claims handler is on their side.
| What happens | What lies behind it |
|---|---|
| A quick offer shortly after the accident | your injury has not yet crystallised; buying it off early is cheaper for the insurer |
| An offer "covering everything" | the non-material damages are merged with material loss, so you can no longer see what is for what |
| Reference to one low comparable case | cases with higher awards go unmentioned, and no index-linking is applied |
| Emphasis on contributory negligence | part of the loss is deducted; that apportionment is negotiable |
| Personal investigation or a medical request | building pressure and looking for an alternative explanation for your symptoms |
| Request for full and final discharge | closing the case definitively before the course of your recovery is known |
What you can do about this is less complicated than it looks: sign nothing while your medical situation is still changing, have every offer itemised per head of loss, and deal with the non-material damages separately using your own comparable cases.
Which places around The Hague does this office serve?
Our Hague office handles cases from the whole of the Haaglanden region and the surrounding municipalities within The Hague district — the same region for which the District Court of The Hague has jurisdiction. Where you live is in any event less decisive for your case than where the accident happened and who the other party is.
| Region | Places |
|---|---|
| The Hague and immediate surroundings | Den Haag, Scheveningen, Rijswijk, Voorburg, Leidschendam, Wassenaar, Wateringen |
| To the south and east | Delft, Zoetermeer, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Nootdorp, Midden-Delfland |
| Westland | Naaldwijk, 's-Gravenzande, Monster, De Lier, Honselersdijk |
| Leiden region | Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Oegstgeest, Katwijk, Noordwijk |
| Gouda region | Gouda, Alphen aan den Rijn, Waddinxveen, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Zuidplas |
If you live outside this region, you can also go to one of our other offices: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven or Tilburg. A personal injury case is moreover largely handled remotely — by e-mail, by telephone and through documents — so travel distance makes little difference to how your case proceeds.
What can you do yourself, and which mistakes should you avoid?
Most of the damage in a personal injury file is not done by the other side, but by decisions the victim takes in the first few months. What you record in that period determines where you stand years later.
Immediately after the accident: get yourself examined medically, even if the symptoms seem mild. Make sure there is a formal record — a police report, an accident statement form, an accident notification to your employer. Note down the names of witnesses, photograph the scene and your injuries, and keep damaged clothing, the bicycle or the helmet: that is evidence.
In the weeks that follow: report all your symptoms fully to your GP, start a diary of symptoms and limitations, keep a loss file with receipts, invoices and travel costs, note how many hours of help you receive from family, and hold the liable party liable in writing so that the limitation period is interrupted.
Before settlement: sign nothing while your medical situation is still changing, have every offer itemised per head of loss, have the consequences for benefits and allowances assessed in advance, consider a reservation for specifically named future deterioration, and have the settlement agreement read through before you sign.
The mistakes we see most often, and which can rarely be put right afterwards:
- Agreeing too quickly, before the medical end situation has been reached — any later deterioration is then at your own expense.
- Signing a full and final discharge without a reservation. That closes the case definitively in principle, including for loss you did not yet know about.
- Playing down symptoms at the GP. "I'm managing" ends up in the file and is used against you years later.
- Giving unlimited medical authorisation. A broad mandate gives the insurer access to your entire medical history; its scope is negotiable.
- Focusing only on the non-material damages. Loss of earning capacity and domestic help are usually larger.
- Underestimating social media. Photographs of a holiday or a party are used as counter-evidence against claimed limitations.
- Negotiating with a professional yourself. The claims handler across the table does this daily; you do it once in your life.
- Losing sight of the limitation period. A strong case brought too late is no longer a case.
When do you really need a lawyer?
Not every case calls for a lawyer, but there are situations in which the difference between having expert assistance and not having it runs into tens of thousands of euros. These are the signals.
| Signal | Why it counts |
|---|---|
| Liability is disputed or rejected | without admission you never get to the question of loss |
| Contributory negligence is raised against you | the apportionment is negotiable and legally complex |
| Your symptoms are not objectively demonstrable | whiplash, brain injury and psychological injury require a specific build-up |
| There is permanent injury or permanent loss of work | the loss runs over decades and must be substantiated arithmetically |
| A medical expert examination is proposed | the questions and the choice of expert steer the outcome |
| You are put under time pressure | haste as a rule serves the insurer's interest |
| A child is involved | the consequences only become visible years later |
| Someone has died | bereavement damages, shock damages and fatal-accident loss run together |
| You are being followed or investigated | personal investigation is subject to strict limits |
| The offer is not itemised | what is not broken down cannot be assessed |
What it costs you: where liability is admitted, in principle nothing, because the reasonable costs of legal assistance fall on the liable party as a head of loss (Article 6:96(2) BW).
About this advice
Arslan Advocaten handles personal injury cases from its office at Paletplein 80, 2526 GZ Den Haag, and in addition from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Tilburg. We assess your situation free of charge, work with our own medical adviser and forensic accountants, and act for victims of road accidents, workplace accidents, medical errors and violent crime. Besides Dutch, we speak Turkish, Polish and English.
Call 070 4500 300, e-mail [email protected] or send us your question via the contact form. We will tell you where you stand and what the next step is.
This page provides general information and is not legal advice on your own case. No rights can be derived from the principles set out here.
Sources and accountability
The statutory rules referred to on this page can be consulted at the official source:
- Article 3:310 BW — limitation: Dutch Civil Code, Book 3
- Article 6:96 BW — out-of-court costs: Dutch Civil Code, Book 6
- Article 6:106 BW — non-material damages: Dutch Civil Code, Book 6
- Article 7:658 BW — the employer's duty of care: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7
- Article 185 WVW — protection of non-motorised road users: Road Traffic Act 1994
Judgments can be found via Rechtspraak.nl. Statutory texts checked on 9 September 2026; the limitation periods, costs and competent court in your own case are assessed by the lawyer handling it.