Last year’s November and December that were rich in snow have contributed to an increase in the number of personal accidents that occurred in winter conditions. In the last month of 2022, people suffered injuries by 25% more than the year before; however, the increase in November has been simply staggering – 650%, data aggregated by BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA) indicates.

Given that this winter the first snow appeared already before Latvia’s birthday, the number of accidents characteristic of this cold season began to grow already in the second half of November. The most typical accidents were falls on icy sidewalks or on front door steps, which resulted in fractured arm, leg or humerus bones. A particularly large number of such events was registered right in the beginning of winter and in the days of black ice. In a couple of tens of events, the injured persons required serious treatment – BTA paid out insurance claims of more than 3000 euros in order to cover expenses. In turn, treatment of the most severe injuries cost even above 7000 euros.

As is customary, children were mostly injured while having winter fun – when sliding down a hill and hitting an obstacle or when falling down and hurting themselves during ice skating. The younger ones have also fallen and hurt themselves when getting out of a vehicle and stepping on an icy road surface. Therefore, it is very important to warn children beforehand of the risks of slipping and to urge them to be more cautious.

«This winter, traumatologists have a lot of work on their hands due to changing weather. Sidewalks and steps often become covered with ice, and the slippery surfaces surprise even people in their prime and those having a very good coordination. Unfortunately, it has to be concluded that no one is protected from falls. Given that treatment of injuries is very expensive and may cost even several thousands of euros, I call on everyone to obtain a personal accident insurance policy. It will not protect from painful falls, but it will protect from painful treatment expenses,» emphasises BTA Insurance Claims Handling Department Director Kārlis Liepiņš.


About BTA
BTA Baltic Insurance Company is one of the leading insurance companies in the Baltics, offering the broadest range of non-life insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. BTA employs more than 1,000 employees in the Baltics. The sole shareholder of BTA is Vienna Insurance Group AG (VIG), the leading insurance group both in Austria and in the entire Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. Around 50 insurance companies in 30 countries form a Group with a long-standing tradition, strong brands and close customer relations. The more than 25,000 employees in the VIG take care of the day-to-day needs of more than 22 million customers. VIG shares have been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1994. The VIG Group has an A+ rating with stable outlook by the internationally recognised rating agency Standard & Poor's. VIG cooperates closely with the Erste Group, the largest retail bank in Central and Eastern Europe.


Additional information:
Elīna Zvejniece
Marketing and Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
e-mail elina.zvejniece@bta.lv
mobile: +371 29374827