Workplace accidents in Greece: notification, evidence and first legal steps

Medical care and the connection between the incident and work

The first priorities are safety and necessary medical treatment. Tell the clinician accurately when, where and during which task the injury occurred. Keep medical reports, examinations, instructions and certificates of incapacity together. An organised medical file is more useful than scattered photographs without dates or context.

The assessment is not limited to whether the incident happened inside the business premises. An accident during a journey or away from a fixed workplace may also require examination of its connection with work. Record the route, assigned task and working hours. Neither assume that every off-site accident is unrelated to work nor that every incident on a journey automatically qualifies.

Who must notify the authorities?

The employer must notify the Labour Inspectorate and e-EFKA of all workplace accidents within 24 hours. Serious injury or death also requires notification to the police and preservation of evidence relevant to the investigation. The applicable provision is Article 534 of Presidential Decree 62/2025, as amended by Law 5239/2025.

Ask for a copy of the notification and its reference number. If there is refusal, inaction or a dispute, promptly contact the competent Inspectorate and social-insurance authority about the appropriate procedure. Do not assume that an informal conversation with a supervisor completed every necessary step. Keep copies of your own written communications and the replies.

Accident benefit, financial loss and non-pecuniary damage are distinct

Reporting the incident does not replace an application for social-insurance benefit. The applicable insurance category, medical certification, supporting documents and benefit deadlines must be checked separately with e-EFKA. Record both the accident-notification date and the date of each medical document accurately rather than assuming that one date governs every procedure.

Civil claims distinguish financial loss from compensation for non-pecuniary damage. Social-insurance coverage affects an employer's liability for financial losses; fault and causation require assessment for non-pecuniary damage. It would be wrong to promise that every workplace accident entitles the employee to recover every loss in full from the employer.

Preparing the evidence for an initial legal assessment

Prepare a short chronology and preserve original messages and documents. Note when any lawfully available photographs were taken: an image from another day does not necessarily prove the conditions at the time of the accident. Do not put yourself at risk to obtain material or alter the scene. Identify witnesses without suggesting what they should say.

For a case in Heraklion or elsewhere in Crete, include employment documents even if the immediate concern is the injury. Before signing an account of the incident or a settlement, have its meaning explained. The sources were checked on 19 October 2026; this overview does not replace an assessment of the particular employment relationship, insurance position and evidence.

• Medical records, incapacity certificates and expense receipts
• Contract, working hours, payroll and social-insurance records
• Accident notification, reference numbers and correspondence
• Witness details, dated photographs and any investigation report