Interest and Set-off Rules in Traffic-Accident Damages Recast

5 Ağustos 2026

Law No. 7589, published on 31 July 2026 (Official Gazette No. 33326), added paragraphs to article 55 of the Turkish Code of Obligations that settle two recurrent questions in damages actions arising from traffic accidents and other torts:

• Start of interest: statutory interest runs from the date of the tort (the accident) on compensation calculated for a period in which earnings are known, and from the date of the judgment for a period in which earnings are not known.
• Set-off: partial payments made during the proceedings by way of performance are set off proportionally against the amount of damages as at the date of payment.

The change should be read with the compulsory motor third-party liability (ZMSS) limits in force for 2026: TRY 3,600,000 per person for death/disablement, TRY 18,000,000 per accident, and TRY 400,000 material damage per vehicle.

Contact the firm for calculation and litigation of loss-of-support and bodily-injury claims, and of disputes with insurers, in line with current law.

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