Personal Injury · Switzerland
Find a personal injury lawyer in Switzerland
An accident can leave you facing medical costs, lost income and paperwork in a language that may not be your own. We listen to what happened and match you with a Swiss-qualified lawyer who handles personal injury matters in the canton where your case belongs.
- Federal tort law, 26 cantonal court systems — we know the difference
- Lawyers admitted under the BGFA and recognised throughout Switzerland
- Free, no-obligation matching with an average first response of 24–48h
Free to use. No obligation. Your details stay confidential.
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Personal injury in Switzerland
Compensation after an accident in Switzerland
If you are injured in Switzerland — on the road, at work, in a shop or during a leisure activity — the question of who pays is answered by federal Swiss law, but the practical route to compensation runs through the courts of a specific canton. Switzerland’s private law is codified in the Civil Code and the Code of Obligations, which governs non-contractual damages claims. Procedure, court organisation and court fees, however, remain largely cantonal, and proceedings are held in German, French or Italian depending on where you file. That is why a personal injury lawyer in Switzerland needs both the federal rules and local court practice. Tell us what happened and we match you, free of charge, with a lawyer who handles cases like yours.
Switzerland in practice
How personal injury claims work in Switzerland
Switzerland is a federal state: the substantive law that decides whether you are owed compensation is the same in every canton, but the court that hears your case, the language of the proceedings and the level of court fees are cantonal matters. The notes below set out the structural points that shape a Swiss injury claim, drawn from official sources.
Federal tort law, cantonal courts
Switzerland follows the continental civil-law tradition: private law is codified, not built on precedent. Non-contractual damages claims fall under the Code of Obligations, which applies identically in all 26 cantons. What changes as you cross a cantonal border is the court structure, the procedural code in force and the tariff that fixes court fees.
Which court will hear your case
Civil cases start at first instance before district courts and cantonal courts. Appeals go to the cantonal court of appeal and, ultimately, to the Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgericht / Tribunal fédéral) in Lausanne. Because each canton organises its own judiciary, the competent court and the language of the proceedings — German, French or Italian — depend on where the case is brought.
Must you instruct a lawyer?
Under Art. 68 of the Civil Procedure Code there is no general obligation to be represented in Swiss civil proceedings; you may appear in person. Representation is mandatory, however, before the Federal Supreme Court in civil matters (Art. 40 BGG). A lawyer admitted in one canton may represent parties throughout Switzerland under the Free Movement of Lawyers Act.
Costs, advances and who pays
There is no single federal tariff for ordinary civil cases: court fees follow cantonal schedules and are broadly proportional to the value in dispute. As a rule the claimant pays an advance on court costs (Art. 98 CPC), and the unsuccessful party bears the costs of the proceedings (Art. 106 CPC). Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed, with cantonal schedules as a fallback.
Free legal aid
Legal aid (unentgeltliche Rechtspflege, Art. 117–123 CPC) is available to natural persons who lack sufficient financial resources and whose case is not devoid of any chance of success. It can cover exemption from advances and court costs and, where necessary to protect your rights, the appointment of a court-funded legal representative.
Cross-border accidents
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and instead relies on sectoral bilateral agreements. For civil claims with a cross-border element it is a party to the 2007 Lugano Convention, which aligns jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments with the EU’s Brussels I regime. This matters if you were injured in Switzerland and live elsewhere in Europe, or the reverse.
All country-specific statements on this page come from official Swiss sources (Fedlex — the official federal law platform — and the Federal Office of Justice), as consulted in 2025.
- Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers (BGFA) — admission and nationwide practice
- Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC) — representation, costs, party compensation and legal aid
- Code of Obligations — limitation periods for contractual and tort claims
- Federal Constitution and the Swiss judicial system — Federal Supreme Court, cantonal courts, languages
- Federal Office of Justice — Lugano Convention 2007
Common difficulties
What makes a Swiss injury claim hard to handle alone
Injured claimants in Switzerland usually run into the same three practical obstacles.
The clock is running
Damages claims in tort are subject to a relative limitation period of three years in Switzerland, and an absolute period of ten. Waiting to see whether your injuries settle can quietly erode the claim you are still able to bring.
One country, twenty-six court systems
Substantive law is federal, but court organisation, procedural rules and fee tariffs are cantonal. Filing in the wrong place, or in the wrong language, costs both time and money before the merits are ever discussed.
Language and unfamiliar procedure
Proceedings are conducted in German, French or Italian depending on the canton, and court correspondence arrives in the local language. Without local representation, insurers and opposing parties often set the pace of the file.
Why use the matching service
How we help you find the right lawyer
A short description of your case is enough for us to work with.
Specialisation, not general practice
We match you with lawyers who handle personal injury matters, so you speak to someone for whom damages claims are part of everyday practice rather than a one-off favour.
Admission you can verify
Every lawyer we introduce holds a cantonal practising certificate and is entered on a cantonal lawyers’ roll under the BGFA, which allows them to represent parties before judicial authorities throughout Switzerland.
Cantonal know-how
Because court fees, procedure and even the language of proceedings vary from canton to canton, we look at where your case belongs before proposing a lawyer rather than sending the first available name.
Free and without obligation
Describing your situation costs nothing and carries no obligation. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer we propose, and you are free to decline or to ask for another profile.
Cross-border matters
Injured in Switzerland but living elsewhere?
Accidents abroad often involve two legal systems. If you live outside Switzerland, or the other party does, your case may raise questions of jurisdiction and of enforcing a judgment abroad — an area where Switzerland’s participation in the 2007 Lugano Convention is decisive. We also match clients in the following countries.
Questions
Personal injury claims in Switzerland: common questions
Do I need a personal injury lawyer in Switzerland to claim compensation?
Not necessarily. Under Art. 68 of the Civil Procedure Code, parties in Swiss civil proceedings may appear in person and are not obliged to be represented. Representation is mandatory only before the Federal Supreme Court in civil matters (Art. 40 BGG). In practice, however, a lawyer who knows the cantonal procedure and local court practice is a considerable advantage.
How long do I have to bring a damages claim in Switzerland?
Non-contractual damages claims are subject to a relative limitation period of three years and an absolute period of ten years under the Code of Obligations. The two run differently: the relative period works from what you knew, while the absolute period applies regardless. Have the position in your own case confirmed by a lawyer.
Which court will hear my case, and in what language?
Civil cases begin at first instance before district or cantonal courts, with appeals to the cantonal court of appeal and, ultimately, to the Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne. Switzerland has four national languages and each canton determines its own official language, so proceedings are conducted in German, French or Italian depending on where the case is heard.
Can a lawyer from another canton represent me?
Yes. Under the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers, a lawyer admitted in one canton may represent parties before judicial authorities throughout Switzerland. Lawyers must be entered on the cantonal roll of the canton where they have their place of business, and the cantonal supervisory authorities oversee the profession.
What will it cost, and is legal aid available?
Court fees follow cantonal tariffs; the claimant usually pays an advance on court costs (Art. 98 CPC) and the losing party bears the costs of the proceedings (Art. 106 CPC). Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed or determined by cantonal schedules. Legal aid (Art. 117–123 CPC) may cover advances, court costs and a court-funded representative if you lack means and your case is not devoid of any chance of success.
What if the accident has a cross-border element?
Switzerland is not an EU member, so EU rules do not apply directly. It is a party to the 2007 Lugano Convention, which aligns jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments with the EU’s Brussels I regime. That is decisive when the parties are in different countries — for example a claimant living in an EU state.
Next step
Tell us about your accident
Describe what happened, where in Switzerland it occurred and what you have already received from insurers or from the other party. We review it and match you with a lawyer who handles personal injury matters in the relevant canton. The matching is free and you are under no obligation to instruct anyone.