People injured in traffic accidents in Barcelona can now request an out-of-court forensic expert report through a dedicated procedure on Tràmits Gencat, the Generalitat de Catalunya’s official administrative portal. The change affects claims over injury compensation, as the report provides a specialist medical-forensic assessment of injuries and lasting effects.

Law firms and other legal representatives must use the digital route exclusively. Applications submitted through email, post or other unauthorised channels will not be accepted, according to information from the Department of Justice.

One channel for professional representatives

The report is prepared by the Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya (IMLCFC), Catalonia’s Legal and Forensic Medicine Institute. It can help accident victims and insurers resolve disagreements without taking the case to court.

  • Victims and their representatives can submit a request through the specific Tràmits Gencat procedure.
  • Lawyers and other professional representatives are required to communicate electronically with the administration.
  • Individuals who are not required to use electronic administration may still request the assessment in person using paper forms.

Previously, many requests were made through general applications or email. Under the new arrangement, applications enter the IMLCFC’s management system automatically, allowing their status to be tracked and helping the institute distribute cases between territories, the Department of Justice said.

Reports are used in compensation disputes

The out-of-court assessments form part of the framework established by Royal Decree 1148/2015 of 18 December. The decree regulates expert assessments requested by individuals from legal and forensic medicine institutes for non-court claims arising from motor-vehicle incidents.

It followed Law 35/2015 of 22 September, which reformed the system for assessing personal injury and loss in road traffic accidents. The rules allow affected people and insurers to use forensic doctors’ independent expert assessments in attempts to settle compensation claims.

For a Barcelona resident making an application without a lawyer, the available non-digital option is to request the assessment in person at an office using the paper form. Legal representatives must submit the request through Tràmits Gencat.

Primary sources: Boletín Oficial del Estado. Reported by Source Text Link, Ángela Vázquez, beteve.cat, Judith Prió-Silvestre, icab.cat, Noemi, peritojudicialcolegiado.com, icab.es, gp-grup.com, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.