THE ESSENTIALS
Before you start
- The statutory reference is completion of the assessment, not simply the workshop visit.
- The basic period is four working days, subject to statutory qualifications.
- Making the report available does not amount to accepting liability or funding repairs.
Where does the basic period start?
Article 36(1)(d) of Portuguese Decree-Law 291/2007 provides for making assessment reports available within four working days of completion, together with investigation reports essential to understanding them. This is not simply four days from the accident, notification of the claim or arrival at the workshop.
Rui first asks for the completion date to be identified in writing. If the reply only says that the assessor visited on a particular morning, he keeps that information and asks whether the assessment was completed or further work remained. He does not treat two different dates as the same date.
Four working days does not answer every case
Article 36(6) halves the periods in subparagraphs (b) to (e) where there is a joint accident statement; it provides for doubling them in exceptional weather or an exceptionally high number of simultaneous accidents. Paragraph 8 suspends the periods during investigation of a substantiated suspicion of fraud. These conditions require assessment in the actual case.
Article 32 limits the scope, including loss exceeding the statutory minimum insured capital, transported goods and loss of profits from a vehicle being out of use. Where the same injured party suffered property damage and bodily injury, Article 37 requires authorisation to apply the property-damage periods. Clara asks which rule applies instead of promising Rui a specific day.
The report and the decision answer different questions
A report helps explain the technical assessment and the enquiries behind it. Communication accepting or rejecting liability is a separate step under Article 36. Access to the report alone does not show that the insurer has agreed to pay for every operation in the estimate.
As a practical check, Rui keeps three documents separately: the assessment, the estimate and the decision. He marks differences in parts, operations or amounts and asks for an explanation quoting the claim reference. A question about the report is not, by itself, an instruction to dismantle, repair or incur costs.
Prepare a short request that can be checked
A useful question is: when was the assessment completed, where is the report available, and which investigations are needed to understand it? If information is missing, ask about the state of the enquiries and the basis for any adjustment to the period. Keep the reply in the private case record instead of posting accident documents on social media.
For an existing claim, use Support and claims and the case contacts. To compare future protection, select Motor under Request a quote. A new proposal does not settle an earlier accident, and this guide does not determine a breach or compensation in an individual case.
KEEP THESE QUESTIONS
Your checklist for the next conversation
- Confirm the assessment completion date.
- Request the report and investigations needed to understand it.
- Check the basis for any adjustment to the period.
- Keep the assessment, estimate and decision separate in the private case record.
FROM THE ARTICLE TO YOUR SITUATION
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Sources and transparency
Content updated on .
Consultation dates are stated in individual references when available.
Numerical examples are fictional and explain concepts. Editorial interpretations are identified in the text.
Information from RMACHADO GROUP. This is not an insurance offer or individual advice. Covers, acceptance, exclusions, sums insured and costs depend on the policy. The intermediary does not underwrite the risks.