Expert appointment in traffic accidents is changing from scratch! Middlemen will be out of the picture
A new era is beginning in damage and depreciation processes following traffic accidents. Under the regulation affecting 33 million vehicle owners, the automatic expert appointment system, which will be launched in pilot provinces starting April 1, 2026, will eliminate middlemen, ensuring that damage and depreciation payments are made transparently without the citizen paying a single penny out of pocket.
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The Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency (SEDDK) has implemented a comprehensive regulation to prevent irregularities in insurance processes. With the Regulation on the Appointment of Insurance Experts published in the Official Gazette, repair and depreciation procedures, which are quite complex for drivers involved in accidents, have been made more understandable and transparent.
According to the report on NTV, the new system will be launched in the provinces of Bursa and Ordu as of April 1, 2026, within the scope of a pilot application.
HOW WILL THE POST-ACCIDENT PROCESS WORK?
Following a traffic accident, when a vehicle is taken to an authorized service, a service contracted with the insurance company, or any body shop/painter, the documents related to the accident will be uploaded to the system. Following this process, an expert will be appointed automatically through the system. Damage applications can only be made by the vehicle owner; middlemen or intermediaries will not be able to conduct transactions via power of attorney. This will also prevent the formation of illegal intermediary networks.
CITIZENS WILL ALSO HAVE A SAY IN EXPERT SELECTION
The assessment of the damage to the vehicle will be carried out by an expert. The request for an expert can be created by both the insurance company and the citizen. In this way, the aggrieved citizen will be able to carry out the process with the expert they request through the automated system.
DIGITAL EXPERT APPOINTMENT ERA BEGINS
Within the scope of the new regulation, the Expert Appointment and Tracking System is being put into effect. Experts registered in the system will be appointed automatically via EKSİST and will carry out damage assessment procedures.
EXPERT WILL BE MANDATORY ABOVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT
If the material damage resulting from an accident exceeds 10 percent of the traffic insurance coverage, the appointment of an expert will become mandatory. Since the material damage coverage for 2026 has been set at 400 thousand liras, an expert will definitely be assigned for damages exceeding 40 thousand liras. For damages below this amount, the insurance company and the aggrieved citizen will be able to reach a settlement.
Considering that the cost of replacing a headlight alone starts at 30 thousand liras in many vehicles today, it is predicted that expert appointments will become widespread.
IRREGULARITIES CONDUCTED OVER DEPRECIATION ARE ENDING
The informal structure formed by individuals who obtain the vehicle owner's information from services or repair shops after an accident, obtain power of attorney with the promise of high depreciation, and force the citizen to pay a commission is being eliminated with this regulation.
In the new system, depreciation compensation will be calculated during the damage assessment and added directly to the damage file. Thus, there will be no need to make a separate depreciation application, and the complex processes that lead to the victimization of citizens will come to an end.
For example, in the event of 100 thousand liras of damage to a vehicle in an accident, in addition to this, approximately 30 thousand liras of depreciation will also be paid directly to the vehicle owner.
NO EXTRA FEES WILL BE REQUESTED FROM THE CITIZEN
The citizen who is a victim of an accident will not have to make any additional payments such as power of attorney fees or commissions. No service fee will be charged to the citizen for the assessments made by the experts.
EXPERT REPORTS WILL BE OPEN TO OBJECTION
Both the citizen and the insurance company will be able to object to the prepared expert reports. The objection period will be limited to 3 business days from the creation of the report. In case of an objection, a new expert will be appointed.
In this case, the party objecting will cover the fee of the new expert.
THE SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY
The pilot application regarding sequential expert appointment will be implemented in Bursa and Ordu for 3 months from the date the regulation enters into force. The Board will have the authority to change the pilot provinces and extend the application period up to 6 months.
Following the completion of the pilot process, the new system will officially enter into force throughout Turkey as of July 1, 2026.