Morocco reforms traffic accident compensation system with 54% payment increase

Morocco’s government has introduced comprehensive reforms to its traffic accident compensation system,addressing longstanding criticism regarding complexity and processing delays. Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi’s proposed legislation modernizes protection mechanisms for accident victims through expanded beneficiary categories and improved calculation methods.

Current statistics highlight reform urgency: 2024 recorded approximately 655,360 declared accidents with insurance companies,including 143,293 bodily injury cases causing 4,024 deaths. Annual compensation payments reached 7.9 billion dirhams,with amicable settlement rates not exceeding 26% among certain companies,demonstrating systematic inefficiencies requiring immediate attention.

The legislation expands beneficiary scope to include dependent children,financially dependent spouses,and categories without regular income such as students and trainees. This approach acknowledges employment market realities and educational system evolution,enabling unemployed graduates to receive fair compensation based on actual circumstances rather than minimum wage standards.

Major innovations include refined indemnity calculation methods,explicitly excluding funeral expenses and moral damages from accident responsibility distribution. The text establishes salary and professional income proof freedom,guaranteeing vulnerable categories compensation based on real earnings rather than minimum wage calculations.

Minimum and maximum salary threshold revision mechanisms become flexible and periodic,occurring every five years instead of public sector indexing. Minimum salary calculations will progressively increase from 9,270 to 14,270 dirhams across five phases,representing 54% growth. Justice Ministry estimates indicate this measure enables traffic accident victims to receive compensation better aligned with living costs.

The reform strengthens conciliation and amicable dispute resolution,currently representing only 26% of cases for certain companies. Implementation includes unified medical certificate models,reduced conciliation timeframes,and joint medical expertise pathways,making processes faster and more transparent while guaranteeing improved compensation access.