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If you are injured in a road accident, the insurer will sooner or later make you an offer with amounts per day and per point. These amounts almost always come from the Indicative Table (Tableau indicatif). It is a list of reference amounts that judges, lawyers and insurers use to translate personal injury into money.
Since 2024, a new edition has applied: the Indicative Table 2024. It sharply increased many amounts. In this article, you will find out what the table is, what amounts it proposes and why you should not accept just any offer. A broader overview of your rights after an accident can be found in our article on compensation after a road accident and in our overview road accident: what to do?.
What is the Indicative Table?
An injury, pain or grief has no market price. Yet the judge has to put an amount on it. To avoid large differences between courts, judges have since the 1990s been drawing up a table of reference amounts. This table is revised every few years. The previous version dated from 2020.
The table is soft law: it does not have the force of law. The judge can depart from it, upwards as well as downwards, if the specific circumstances justify it. The judge must always assess the loss in concreto, meaning for you personally. In practice, however, insurers follow the table almost to the letter, and many judges also take it as their starting point.
For you, this means that the table gives a good idea of the order of magnitude, but that it is not a ceiling.
The main amounts in the Indicative Table 2024
The table works with daily amounts for the temporary period (up to consolidation, the point at which your condition is stable) and with flat-rate amounts or capitalisation for the permanent period. The medical expert sets the percentage of incapacity in each case. The daily amount is multiplied by that percentage.
| Head of loss | Indicative Table 2024 |
|---|---|
| Temporary personal incapacity (100%) | 32 euros per day |
| Same, during a hospital stay | 39 euros per day |
| Temporary household incapacity (100%) | 30 euros per day, plus 10 euros per dependent child |
| Increased effort at work (100%) | 30 euros per day worked |
| Help from third parties (non-specialised) | 11.50 euros per hour |
| Exceptional suffering (scale of 1 to 7) | from 1.15 to 32 euros per day |
| Increased effort during studies | 6, 12 or 17 euros per day (primary, secondary, higher education) |
| Non-material loss for losing a school or academic year | 3,000 euros per year |
| Clothing (entirely lost, without proof) | 400 euros |
| Administrative costs | 50 to 150 euros |
| Travel by car | 0.42 euro per km |
An example. The doctor finds that you were totally incapacitated for 20 days, then 25% incapacitated for 60 days. For your personal incapacity, this gives 20 x 32 euros plus 60 x 8 euros, or 1,120 euros in total. Household incapacity and economic incapacity come on top of that.
Cosmetic damage
Scars, a visible limp or a changed voice are compensated separately. The medical expert gives a score out of 7. The table links that score to your age. For example, for a person aged 41 to 50 with cosmetic damage of 4 out of 7, the table proposes an amount of 7,475 euros. The younger you are, the higher the amount.
Permanent incapacity: flat rate per point
If permanent incapacity remains after consolidation, the table awards an amount per point, depending on your age. The 2024 edition roughly tripled these amounts.
| Age at consolidation | Amount per point (2024) |
|---|---|
| 30 years | 2,970 euros |
| 45 years | 2,295 euros |
| 60 years | 1,620 euros |
A 45-year-old victim with 7% permanent personal incapacity thus receives 7 x 2,295 euros, or 16,065 euros. The flat rate per point in principle covers all permanent loss in that area, for the rest of your life.
Capitalisation or flat rate: what is the difference?
The new Civil Code (Code civil) allows three ways of compensating permanent personal injury (Article 6.34 of the Civil Code):
- An annuity: a periodic payment, for example monthly, for as long as the loss lasts.
- Capitalisation: a daily amount is taken, multiplied by the percentage of incapacity and converted into a lump sum for the rest of your probable life. For this, the table applies an interest rate of 0.5% if the loss lasts less than 15 years, and 1% if it lasts longer.
- A flat rate per point: a fixed amount per percentage point, as above.
The difference can be significant. Legal writers have calculated that the same 45-year-old with 7% incapacity would receive more than 30,000 euros through capitalisation, compared with just over 16,000 euros with the flat rate. That is why insurers often offer the flat rate. Judges are increasingly capitalising, even for low percentages, as soon as the loss is permanent and stable. Which method suits your case depends on your age, the type of injury and your occupation.
For permanent loss of income, there is no flat rate: it is calculated concretely on the basis of what you lose in net terms.
Can the judge award more than the table?
Yes. The table is a tool, not a limit. The judge must assess your loss concretely and can go higher if your situation calls for it. A few examples of circumstances that can justify a higher amount:
- particularly demanding or lengthy rehabilitation;
- a sport or hobby practised intensively that you have to give up (loss of amenity, préjudice d’agrément);
- inflation since the table was published;
- in the event of death: a particularly close bond with the deceased, or a young child losing a parent.
Conversely, the insurer can argue that a lower amount is enough. The key is therefore to document your own situation properly.
For the non-material loss of relatives, since 2024 the table has worked with ranges rather than fixed amounts. To find out more, read our article on compensation for relatives after a fatal accident.
What about older accidents?
The table is not a law and therefore does not only apply to accidents that happened after its publication. Judges and insurers generally also apply the most recent edition to cases that have not yet been closed. The loss is, after all, assessed at a date as close as possible to payment. If you have an ongoing case in which the 2020 amounts are still being used, have it checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Indicative Table binding?
No. The Indicative Table is a guideline drawn up by judges. It does not have the force of law. The judge can depart from it, in either direction, provided the judge explains why. In practice, however, insurers use the table as the standard, and many judges start from it. An amount from the table is therefore a good starting point, but not a maximum.
How much do I receive per day of incapacity for work after an accident?
For personal incapacity, the Indicative Table 2024 proposes 32 euros per day at 100%, and 39 euros per day in hospital. Your loss of salary is compensated separately and concretely. If you kept working despite the pain, you can claim compensation for increased effort: 30 euros per day worked at 100%. Household incapacity comes on top of that.
How much is one percentage point of permanent disability worth?
According to the Indicative Table 2024, it depends on your age. For a 30-year-old, it is 2,970 euros per percentage point, for a 45-year-old 2,295 euros and for a 60-year-old 1,620 euros. That is the flat rate. If the judge opts for capitalisation, the compensation can be considerably higher.
Which edition of the Indicative Table applies today?
The Indicative Table 2024. It replaces the 2020 table. The amounts are on average considerably higher. For cases still ongoing, judges and insurers generally use the most recent edition.
Can I refuse an offer from the insurer?
Yes. An offer is not a decision. Check whether all heads of loss are included, whether the correct edition of the table was used and whether the insurer chose a flat rate where capitalisation would yield more. Do not sign a settlement receipt (quittance) as long as you have doubts. A settlement receipt generally closes your file for good.
Have your case reviewed
We recalculate your personal injury loss according to the Indicative Table 2024 and check whether higher compensation can be argued. That way, you know whether the insurer’s offer is correct. Contact us.
Law as at 30 September 2026. We update this article when the rules change.
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