There’s no easy way for victims to deal with terrorism, but Belgium has moved to make things less difficult when it comes to compensation.
Passing bills aimed at affording victims better assistance and faster processing, the Chamber’s Justice Commission will see reforms rolled out following the bombings that took place on March 22, 2016. According to The Brussels Times, there are nearly 700 files related to the attacks.
Changes include raising the emergency assistance ceiling from €30,000 to €125,000. Compensation reforms also feature the creation of a subrogation mechanism with insurers.
“The victims and their families will be helped more quickly and will feel less vulnerable in the face of the administrative procedures, so they will be better able to enjoy the right to legal assistance or to financial assistance for transport and accommodation costs,” the report quoted Justice Minister Koen Geens as saying.
“The amounts paid out in the acute phase will also be increased. People who have to bear such grief certainly do not need to have to worry about whether they’ll be able to pay hospital bills.”
Meanwhile a bill seeking to extend insurance coverage has yet to be passed.
