car accident in Greece

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. But... third party liability insurance is mandatory with car rentals in Greece, so presumably you had coverage for any possible injury to the motorcycle driver or damage to his motorcycle. My advice would be to contact that insurer first. I assume they would be the ones who would investigate the situation & defend you from any liability claim or pay for any damages. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if you got a call from them eventually. As far as possible charges against you, you might want to talk to a lawyer in Greece. You can do an online search for one at www.martindale.com, which is a well-established worldwide directory of lawyers.

Have you contacted the US Embassy yet?

I sent an email to the US Embassy in Greece but I have not heard back yet. I can't seem to find an office of the US Embassy in this country. Do you have a website or email for a location here?

There is no U.S. Embassy in the U.S. Unless I'm mistaken what you're looking for is the U.S. Department of State. http://www.state.gov

I sent the US State Dept an email yesterday and have not heard back yet.

I've seen cases in 3rd-world countries where the foreign driver is the one the local police automatically try to nail, but Greece is now part of the EU. My thoughts are with you for a quick resolution in your favor.

Kathy, Disclaimer - I'm also not a Lawyer..... In reading your post, I'm not sure what the numbers "&#40" and "&#41" refer to??? I'm assuming that since you were released to leave the country, you signed the statement? Also, did you have an International Driver's Permit (compulsory in Greece)? What type of CDW did you select when you rented the Car? If you had insurance, I'm surprised that they charged your credit card for the damages. Did the Police indicate in any way that you would be required to return for disposition of the case? What were you supposedly being charged with? The best suggestion I can think of at the moment, is that you might want to send an E-mail to Matt Barrett (www.greecetravel.com). I'm sure he'd be able to provide some helpful information. Good luck!

Just a guess - maybe they charged her credit card for her CDW deductible.

BetsYes, I clearly had the impression that I was targeted because I was a foreigner.
KenSpecial symbols are just parentheses, no significance. Yes, I signed the statement. In broken English, I was told that if I signed I could probably leave, if I didn't I could be there indefinitely. I realize it was a risk but it seemed the best course at the time. My daughter had planned to get help for me (embassy, US Senators, etc) if they took me away. The insurance had a maximum of 400 Euro liability, that is what my card was charged for. I was being arrested because the motorcycle driver was pressing charges because his passenger was injured. It was very difficult to determine if they thought I would have to return. They kept insisting they weren't judges. After I signed the statement, they supposedly called the judge and he made the determination that I could be released. Hopefully, that is an indication that I would be found not at fault, but I don't know. Thanks for suggesting the website for Matt Barrett, I will look into it. , i got a response back from the American Embassy in Greece and they said the police have no record of it. ??? They said that can happen if the two parties come to an agreement. So I am very confused. This may sound positive but I want to get something in writing before I let this go. I don't want to be fearful of going to a foreign country for the rest of life.

Kathy, Thanks for the additional information. I'm a bit confused on why your computer is producing those symbols in place of parentheses? One more question - was the driver of the Motorcycle a Greek resident? Two things seem very odd: the fact that they wouldn't provide you with a copy of the statement, and the fact that (according to the Embassy) the Police seem to have no record of the incident? As you chose insurance with a €400 deductible, I don't think there's any recourse except to pay it. You might consider using "zero deductible" on future trips. That's been my usual practice lately, as it provides "peace of mind" (although it's not cheap!). Greece is listed as one of the most dangerous countries to drive in Europe, so your experience would seem to agree with that. This is one reason I prefer to use public transport whenever possible (although I realize that's not as readily available in Greece). I also rented a Car on Santorini on my trip last year, but fortunately there were no "issues" (despite having to dodge those @#$% Quads on a frequent basis). Good luck!

Ken, several posts are producing weird parentheses and other symbols; they're especially evident when posting on a thread - when I click 'post' and get to that next page, the title of the thread will be goofed up. I've noticed this for about a week now... There are countries (and places within countries) where 'the law' gets made up on the spot, or it's a loose agreement among the local inhabitants...looks like you ran up against that. It's certainly not the first time I've heard of something like this happening in Greece...

I guess I'm surprised that the law would be so loosy-goosy in Greece, given that it is part of the European Union. If that is the case, then it seems the only reason they treated me as they did was to intimidate me..... and they were quite successful at it! But why would they do that to an American, given how much the tourist industry means to their economy? Beyond this, the Greek people were very friendly, especially when I tried to speak to them in their language with the little bit that I had taught myself before the trip.

@ Eileen, Thanks for the info on the error symbols. I hadn't noticed that it was happening in other Threads as well. The possibility of slightly "irregular" legal procedures did occur to me, however as the OP apparently wasn't asked for any extra payments, I gave them the "benefit of the doubt". The rental firm would receive the payment of €400 for deductible, so no one else will presumably benefit from that. @ Kathy, If you ever get some answers on this situation, be sure to let us know.

I am 100% sympathetic to the OP, who I'm sure went through a frightening experience after an accident that I doubt was her fault, but I think the Greek police are being unfairly maligned in this thread, if only by implication. People have talked about targeting foreigners, making up laws on the spot, automatically trying to nail foreign drivers, etc. In fact an accident took place in which someone was injured; they investigated; they had the OP sign a statement (possibly an accident report); they let her go. Would the procedures have been any easier in any American jurisdiction after such an accident? I doubt it.

She said she was being arrested and the motorcycle driver, who was passing illegally, was pressing charges. They were also refused access to US Embassy personnel. Now, the accident has disappeared from their files. I don't think we've been unfair to the police who handled this. In 1979 in Morocco three of us came upon two village men dying in the road. Body parts and brains scattered. The truck that hit them was abandoned in a field nearby. Only a couple of passing Moroccans stayed with us while my French husband went for the police. Of course the police wanted to pin it on us, but with the truck in the field, so we got off. This happens to foreigners in some countries.

Tom, Aside from this incredibly scary episode, I did enjoy my time in Greece. Months before I went, I began listening to an audio program to learn Greek. And I found the Greek people there very receptive and very charming when I tried to converse in their language. I say this only because I want you to know that my bad experience there was entirely limited to the day of the accident. But given all that happened on that day and all I have learned so far, I do indeed believe that the police automatically assumed that I was in the wrong because I was a foreigner. And that I was treated very badly and in a way that would clearly have been a violation of my rights had it occurred in this country. We all hear that if we get in trouble in a foreign country that we should request help from the American Embassy. We count on that. But that was denied me. That was a very scary feeling. I had visions of spending time in a foreign jail. I don't know Greek law (something that I will indeed know before I ever step foot in another country), but the experience of being held against my will, having to sign a statement in a language that I cannot read, not being given a copy of what I signed and being denied an American to translate for me.... well I just can't believe that that was legal, not in a country that is a member of the European Union. Obviously I survived and I am back in the US. But I started this thread because I want to make certain my passport is clear and that there will be no further repercussions due to this episode. But now my curiosity is peaked as to what really happened behind the scenes (that I was unable to determine because of the language barrier). Given that the embassy was told that the police couldn't find a record of this, something is not what it seems to be. I have contacted an attorney in Greece and I hope to get answers.

Well, to be the "Devils Advocate", the police showed up at an accident scene saw you and the motorcycle, regardless of what you say or what is reality, they really cannot make judgement as to who was at fault. Regardless of your testimony, by all appearances and evidence at the scene, you hit the motorcycle (as opposed to the cycle hitting your car broadside or in the rear) independent of "fault". In the US, the same would happen, you would need to fill out a report or statement, a ticket would be separate, the insurance agencies would hash out the damages (for which you would be found at least partially at fault likely for just being there) the police may or may not file charges, a judge would decide. For what it is worth, it does not sound as though you were charged, but I could be wrong. While it sounds good in the movies to ask for an Embassy rep, reality is that you would need to be in jail and charged with a serious crime to warrant that, and I believe there is no physical presence of Embassy staff on Santorini (though I want the job when they do staff it) As for the 400 Euro charge, that is completely independent of any action by the police. They do not benefit, did not collect it, probably had no idea you were charged that. That will be between you and the rental company, but if there was 400 euro damage, then you are probably stuck with it unless they take the iniative to collect from the other driver and then only if they collect. You should protest that part to them. (Again, same as in the US, my wife was hit by an uninsured driver, we paid our deductible to get the car fixed, we were only reimbursed after the driver paid the insurance company, some 9 months later) Liability should cover any issues with the other driver, and it is likely you will hear no more.

Wow, ran out of space. If you do hear from the police again, it will be be by letter, you should have a case reference, contact the embassy, they can look into it and most likely recommend a greek lawyer to help.

While I also sympathize with Kathy for what she went through, I also disagree that it was all very shady. She claims she had her turn signal on but I'd guess the motorcyclist claims she didn't. So it becomes her word against his and no way to prove one way or another. Passing is down the middle in Greece so the motorcycle probably had a right to be where he was. And she signed a statement that she didn't understand. It sounds like insurance will cover any injury damages. But keep your eyes open for letters from Greece, which could come months later. And be sure to get them fully translated by someone fluent in Greek so you don't make any mistakes or ignore important requirements.