Occupational accident (work accident)

An occupational accident is an incident that occurs while the insured is at the workplace or because of the performance of work, causing physical or mental harm. Turkish law extends coverage to incidents during assignments away from the workplace, nursing breaks and commuting on employer-provided transport.

The employer must notify the social security institution within a short statutory period. The insured receives a temporary incapacity allowance, a permanent incapacity income where lasting loss of working capacity results, and survivors receive income in case of death. Where the employer is at fault, the institution may seek recourse for its outlays.

Independently of insurance benefits, the employee may claim pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages from the employer according to fault, and relatives may claim loss-of-support damages in fatal cases. Failing to report the accident or disguising it as a non-work incident are the riskiest mistakes in practice.