Victims of the railway accident that occurred on Wednesday in Urda, Toledo, involving a collision between a Renfe AVE train and a stationary Iryo convoy, can claim compensation for damages and injuries suffered. All affected individuals will receive at least the amount established by the Mandatory Passenger Insurance (SOV). This insurance sets a payment of €72,121 for the heirs of the deceased, a figure that currently applies to 69 fatalities reported on Thursday.
The SOV is designed to indemnify individuals suffering bodily harm during travel on public collective transport before liability is determined. As this coverage is included in the ticket price, passengers are protected from the moment they purchase their fare. For injured passengers, SOV compensation ranges from €2,400 up to €84,000 for those suffering severe sequelae such as blindness or tetraplegia. These minimum coverages apply to the 544 passengers traveling on the two trains involved in the incident, with payments expected to be executed within three months.
Beyond the mandatory insurance, a civil liability policy will come into play depending on who is deemed responsible for the accident. Similar to the Adamuz railway accident in January, the three companies involved are the operators of the colliding trains—Renfe, which is state-owned, and Iryo, indirectly controlled by the Italian government—and the infrastructure manager, Adif, a public entity. Initial hypotheses suggest a chain of failures originating from the Atocha control center.
The Australian company QBE serves as Adif's primary insurer. Its European subsidiary was awarded a general civil liability policy for operations and complementary civil liability for Adif and Adif Alta Velocidad in July 2025. This firm also covers Iryo's civil liability. QBE Europe has already had to set aside €21 million for indemnifications related to the Adamuz accident, which occurred in January and resulted in 46 deaths.
Following the news, shares of QBE Insurance Group on the London Stock Exchange fell by 2.4% on Wednesday, though they partially recovered with a 1.5% rise on Thursday. Such companies often reinsure part of their commitments to share risks. Determining who will ultimately pay civil liability indemnifications requires an extensive investigation to establish responsibility; in the Adamuz case, conclusions were not reached even ten months after the event.
Civil liability compensation will reference the traffic accident scale, which establishes a payment hierarchy based on injury severity, emotional impact, loss of job opportunities, and physical sequelae. Judges use this benchmark to set payments of at least €107,000 for the spouse of a deceased person and for each child under 14 years old. For injured victims, factors such as loss of quality of life, inability to practice their profession, moral and aesthetic damages, and future dependency costs are considered. In cases of major injuries, insurer payouts can exceed one million euros.
These civil liability indemnifications will be significantly higher than those derived from the SOV. However, Carlos Lluch, a specialized insurance broker, notes that these claims can be delayed for years due to investigations and judicial disputes. This reality is well known to those affected by the 2013 Angrois accident, which left 80 dead, or the 2008 Spanair flight tragedy with 154 fatalities, both of whom endured long legal battles to secure compensation. Additionally, victims may have access to possible additional insurance policies they hold.
Sources: El País Economía.