Personal injury · Turkey
Work with a personal injury lawyer in Turkey on your claim
Injury claims in Turkey are decided by Turkish courts applying the Code of Obligations, and the proceedings run in Turkish. Tell us what happened and we match you with a Bar-registered lawyer whose practice covers compensation for bodily injury.
- Bar-registered lawyers only
- Claims assessed under Turkish tort law
- Support for clients living abroad
Free matching · No obligation · Independent lawyers
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Why the country matters
Turkish law decides the claim, wherever you live
If you have been hurt in an accident in Turkey — on the road, in a building, at work or during treatment — the compensation question is answered by Turkish law, not by the law of your home country. Turkish tort claims follow the Code of Obligations, court proceedings are conducted in Turkish, and the procedural steps are best handled by someone who works in the system every week. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice: we listen to what happened and match you with a personal injury lawyer in Turkey whose practice covers injury and compensation claims. You keep control of the decision, the budget and the strategy. Matching is free, and the first conversation is a chance to understand your options in plain language before anything is filed.
Turkey in detail
How injury claims work in Turkey
A personal injury claim in Turkey is an ordinary tort claim, decided by the courts applying codified Turkish law. The sections below set out the framework around such a claim — deadlines, court fees, language and who is entitled to act for you — using official Turkish sources.
The limitation period for tort claims
Turkish tort claims are time-barred two years after you learn of the damage and of the person who caused it, with an absolute ceiling of ten years (Code of Obligations, Law No. 6098). Because the clock starts with knowledge rather than the date of the accident, early assessment matters: a lawyer can establish the relevant date and secure the evidence that fixes it.
Who is entitled to represent you
Practising law in Turkey requires membership of a local Bar Association and entry in its register, with a licence (ruhname) issued on admission under the Attorneyship Law (Law No. 1136). Representation is not generally compulsory in civil proceedings — parties may litigate in person at first instance — but a Bar-registered lawyer is the norm and the practical route through filings, hearings and evidence.
Court fees in bodily injury claims
Court fees are set by the Fees Law (Law No. 492). Actions carry a proportional judgment-and-decision fee of 68.31 per thousand of the amount in dispute, plus a fixed application fee; one quarter is paid on filing and the balance on judgment. In claims for damages arising from death or bodily injury the advance fee is reduced to one twentieth. Rates are adjusted annually by Presidential decision.
Language of the courts and evidence
Turkish is the sole language of the courts, so pleadings, filings and judgments are in Turkish (Constitution, Article 3). Documents in another language must be filed with a certified translation, and foreign public documents generally need an apostille. Where a party does not speak Turkish, the court appoints an interpreter — which is why cross-border injury files need a lawyer used to translated evidence.
How a Turkish judge approaches the case
Turkish private law is codified, the Civil Code and the Code of Obligations having been received from Swiss models in the 1920s and revised since. Judges decide by interpreting those codes, and Court of Cassation decisions act as a unifying guide to interpretation rather than binding precedent. Familiarity with how the appellate courts read causation and quantum is therefore what shapes a case.
Lawyers’ fees and cost recovery
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed with the client, but the Union of Turkish Bar Associations publishes an annual minimum-fee tariff which also sets the amount the losing party may be ordered to pay towards the winner’s legal costs. Contingency arrangements are permitted within statutory limits, and the lawyer’s fee may not exceed a legally capped percentage of the sum recovered.
Country data comes from official Turkish legislation published on mevzuat.gov.tr and from the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, checked in 2025.
Where claims go wrong
Three problems we hear about most
None of them is unusual, and each one is easier to handle with local representation from the start.
The clock is already running
Under the Turkish Code of Obligations a tort claim is generally barred two years after you learn of the damage, with a ten-year ceiling. Waiting to see how an injury develops can quietly remove the option to claim at all.
Language and formal steps
Filings, hearings and judgments in Turkey are in Turkish, and foreign documents need certified translations and often an apostille. Without a lawyer working in the system daily, keeping track of evidence, expert reports and procedural steps becomes difficult.
Costs feel unpredictable
Court fees, expert work and lawyers’ fees interact in ways that are hard to judge from abroad, and a claim that skips a required procedural step may be dismissed before the merits are ever examined.
How matching helps
What you get from the matching service
A short, structured route from your situation to a lawyer who already handles this kind of file in Turkey.
One short conversation
You describe the accident, the injury and the response you have received so far. We use that to identify which area of Turkish practice the file belongs to and which lawyers handle it.
Lawyers who handle bodily injury
We match you with a personal injury lawyer in Turkey whose practice includes tort and compensation claims, so the first discussion starts with substance rather than a general explanation of the system.
Fees explained before you commit
Turkish lawyers agree fees with the client, within the annual minimum-fee tariff published by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. You see the proposed basis before deciding whether to proceed.
Cross-border coordination
Because the courts work in Turkish and foreign documents need certified translation, we look for lawyers used to clients resident abroad: someone who can manage evidence, deadlines and updates across borders.
Clients also come from
Cross-border injury files we help with
Most enquiries about Turkish injury claims come from people living outside the country, often after a holiday, a work posting or a family visit. These are the places clients usually contact us from.
Questions and answers
Personal injury claims in Turkey: common questions
How long do I have to bring a personal injury claim in Turkey?
Tort claims under the Turkish Code of Obligations (Law No. 6098) are time-barred two years after you learn of the damage and of the person responsible, with an absolute limit of ten years. Because the starting point is knowledge rather than the accident date, it is worth having the file reviewed early.
Do I need a personal injury lawyer in Turkey, or can I file the case myself?
Representation is not generally compulsory in Turkish civil proceedings, so parties may appear and litigate in person at first instance. In practice, a lawyer who is registered with a Bar Association is the norm, and the filings, expert reports and hearings in a compensation case are far easier to manage with local representation.
Will the case be heard in Turkish?
Yes. Turkish is the sole language of the courts, so pleadings, filings and judgments are drafted in Turkish. Documents in another language must be submitted with a certified translation, foreign public documents generally require an apostille, and a court-appointed interpreter is used where a party does not speak Turkish.
What court fees apply to a claim for bodily injury?
Under the Fees Law (Law No. 492) an action carries a proportional judgment-and-decision fee of 68.31 per thousand of the amount in dispute plus a fixed application fee, with one quarter paid on filing. In claims for damages arising from death or bodily injury the advance fee is reduced to one twentieth.
How are lawyers’ fees set in Turkey?
Fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client, within the annual minimum-fee tariff published by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. That tariff also sets the amount the losing party may be ordered to pay towards the winner’s legal costs. Contingency arrangements are permitted within statutory limits and caps.
Can a lawyer from my own country represent me in Turkey?
No. Practising law in Turkey requires admission to a local Bar Association, and under the Attorneyship Law (Law No. 1136) a candidate must be a Turkish citizen with a Turkish law degree or a recognised equivalent, a completed two-stage internship and good standing. Your file therefore needs a Turkish Bar-registered lawyer.
Next step
Tell us what happened and get matched
Describe the accident, the injury and any correspondence you have received. We will match you with a personal injury lawyer in Turkey who handles this type of claim, free of charge and with no obligation to instruct.