Who has liability for a car accident in Germany and how to claim on insurance?
A week ago I was traveling in Germany by car on an autobahn, There was no one on the road so I was in the correct lane like the law says and I was not speeding (nearly 120km/h in a no speed limit zone). Suddenly a small light appears on the lane (only one light, and it was blinking). I tried to stop and change lane (I supposed the light was there for a reason (probably a crash). I stopped nearly 100 meters after the light but I hit the light. There was a cop who told me to move to the emergency lane and turn on my hazard lights (to avoid someone crashing into me). Then she placed her car before the point where the first light was, finished placing the lights (to close the lane in a visible way), took photographs of the damage to my car and took my insurance details, and gave me a contact card of the highway police.
I called my insurance company Friday, and they told me they have to pass the case to the cross-border department. Then the cross-border department called me today and they asked me if I want to claim on my insurance to fix the car.
I'm new to insurance and especially on incidents in other countries, what should I do?
The damage isn't really big, and it's purely cosmetic (but I can't quantify it in money). The cop didn't explicitly admit "it's my fault", but her actions made me think she was assuming it was.
Is there a way to claim on their insurance, or fulfill the claim only if they are not going to reset my no-claims bonus?
Best Answer
Report it to your insurance exactly as you remember the incident happening - your insurance will battle it out with the other party as to who has ultimate liability and who is at fault, there is basically very little for you to do in that area.
You should report all incidents to your insurer, as in many jurisdictions both parties have several years to lodge a claim and you may have difficulty proving non-liability in two years time. Best to get it over with now.
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How do I claim liability insurance?
Follow these five steps to file a claim on your general liability insurance policy.What is liability insurance in Germany?
Liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) covers costs related to unexpected damages to a person or an object. This type of insurance is very popular in Germany since the government holds people accountable for the damages they cause.Who is responsible for accident?
The owner is not responsible for accidents that follow the theft of the owner's vehicle or other use of the vehicle without the owner's consent. The owner's insurance is liable only for those accidents where the owner authorized or consented to the driver's use of the vehicle.What to do if you have an accident in Germany?
Call the emergency services using your mobile phone or make an emergency call from an orange-colored emergency call box (Notrufs\xe4ule). The emergency numbers in Germany are 110 (Police) and 112 (Fire Brigade & Ambulance). They can be dialed free of charge from any public call box.Best 5 Liability insurance in Germany [ Haftpflichtversicherung ]
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Answer 2
In addition to both answers there is no big difference in handling an harmless traffic accident in your home country and abroad.
Before you drive, you need to ask your insurance if the car is protected abroad, they will also inform you about the papers you need to carry. If you lease a car, the car will automatically have insurance (but perhaps only the minium so it still can ruin you). It is entirely possible that if you drive a car without knowledge into a country where your insurance is invalid, you will be ruined.
For the EU you need only be a member of an EU country, all other countries accept your insurance.
Essentially you always call the police (it does not matter if you are convinced that you are guilty or innocent), they will gather evidence and write a protocol which is neutral for the involved insurances. Even if you are convinced you are guilty, police may find out that you are a victim of an insurance fraud or if you think you are innocent, you overlooked a sign. If your car is leased, you inform them as soon as possible of the incident. Then the insurances will find their solution and inform you of the result. Case closed.
It is possible that if the damage is neglible you both agree to not involve the insurance (that is the reason the police asked).
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