Oman: Govt to establish fund for hit-and-run victims
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Dec 2017
The Omani government will set up a fund to help hit-and-run victims to cope with the financial burden they may face as a result of such accidents, said media reports.
“A committee, under the supervision of the market regulator, will be authorised to receive, manage and settle the claims from accident victims, who are denied insurance coverage mainly due to the failure to establish the identity of the vehicle and its driver involved,” said the reports, citing a statement from the Capital Market Authority (CMA).
The CMA said that a percentage of the fund will be collected from local insurers and policyholders, and the rest will be from the government, reported The National. However, it did not give a detailed breakdown of the size of the fund nor say when the fund would be available to the victims of hit-and-run crashes. Details, such as who will sit on the committee or what their area of expertise is, have yet to be announced.
Expatriates in Oman are not eligible for free medical care, but the fund will also cover their medical care and salary compensation if they have to be off work as a result of injuries sustained in a hit-and-run accident.
Last year, the Omani authorities recorded 73 hit-and-run cases, an increase from 61 in 2015. According to the police, hit-and-run accidents have increased by an average of 5.8% over the last five years. Most victims of hit-and-run crashes are left to fend for themselves, because they were unable to identify the culprits who hit them. M