What is obligatory for every vehicle owner?As an owner of a motor vehicle or trailer you are obligated according to § 1 PflVG to provide a motor vehicle-Liability insurance to be taken out. That means you can't drive on the road without a motorized vehicle. When driving a vehicle it is not impossible that mistakes happen and lead to accidents. If you cause a traffic accident with your car and thereby cause damage to another person, you have to pay for it.
Liability therefore means the obligation to pay damages. Since this can quickly turn out to be very high, the liability insurance protects you from having to pay for any personal injury, property damage and financial losses from your private assets. Short excursus: In the case of personal injuries or deaths. In case of property damage around damaged objects of all kinds. Property damage usually refers to financial losses resulting from loss of use or earnings.
According to the appendix to § 4 para. 2 PflVg, the minimum coverage for personal injury is 7.5 million euros, for property damage 1.22 million euros and for financial losses 50.000 euros.
In the event of a major accident, however, these sums reach their maximum limits relatively quickly as soon as several road users are involved. It is therefore best to take out an insurance policy with a higher sum insured. In many contracts is now a compensation of 100 million euros standard.
Types of insurance and benefits
What is and what does the car insurance cover??
The motor vehicle insurance includes several components: the Motor vehicle liability insurance, the Partial and fully comprehensive insurance as well as additional vehicle insurance. So when you talk about your car insurance, you mean a combination of these insurances. If not, now you know that car insurance does not only mean your partial cover insurance. By the way, the term "motor vehicle" does not only cover your car. Motorcycle, quad, moped, bus, caravan and tractor are also covered by the term.
Third party liability
In the event of an accident for which you are responsible, your liability insurance pays the damages of the other party. So if you cause a traffic accident, you don't have to pay for any personal injury, property damage or financial loss from your personal assets. But only if you have a liability insurance with a high amount of coverage. If the cost of the accident is more than what your insurance covers, you must pay the difference. However, this is very rare, as in good contracts a very high coverage sum is agreed upon.
The benefits of motor vehicle liability at a glance:
– Assumption of towing costs, repair costs, expert's fees, loss of use, depreciation, registration and deregistration costs, replacement value in case of total loss for the vehicle of the other party involved in the accident – Assumption of damage to buildings and traffic facilities – Assumption of treatment costs, lawyer's fees, loss of earnings, compensation for pain and suffering, pension, funeral costs, survivor's benefits for the other party involved in the accident – Defense against unjustified or excessive claims
Comprehensive insurance
If additional security is required, it is advisable to take out comprehensive insurance. The comprehensive insurance pays namely damages to your own vehicle. You can therefore extend your insurance cover with comprehensive insurance in addition to the legally required liability insurance.
Take into account the age and value of your vehicle when taking out comprehensive insurance. For an old vehicle of low value, the motor vehicle liability insurance is usually sufficient. This way you cover the claims of others, but do not pay an unnecessarily high insurance premium.
The comprehensive insurance is divided into Partial cover and Comprehensive insurance. The conclusion of both comprehensive insurances is voluntary and should be well considered.
Partial coverage is recommended for your vehicle if it is more than six years old and its value is more than 1.000 euros.
The following damages are usually covered by the partial cover insurance:
– Natural hazards such as storm, hail, lightning, snow avalanches and flooding – theft, robbery and misappropriation of the vehicle – fire and explosion – collision with furred game – falling rocks and broken glass – cable damage
Comprehensive insurance is recommended for your vehicle if it is new or leased and up to six years old.
Comprehensive insurance will pay for damage to your vehicle that is your fault, unless you caused it with gross negligence or willful misconduct. The insurance covers the costs of repairs after an accident and also if you hit something while parking or backing out of a parking space.
The fully comprehensive insurance covers all benefits of the partial comprehensive insurance, pays for all damages that you cause yourself and if your vehicle has been wilfully damaged by vandalism. If the other party is involved in a hit-and-run accident, comprehensive insurance will also pay for all damage to your vehicle. No matter whether the other party involved in the accident is liable or not.
However, the comprehensive insurance usually pays not:
– in the event of damage caused by driving errors to a caravan that you have coupled to your car – in the event of accident damage between a towing and towed vehicle – if you have intentionally or grossly negligently caused damage while under the influence of drugs or alcohol – in the event of damage that occurred when you were racing – in the event of damage, if you drive your vehicle without a valid MOT and know about a defect – if you have not changed worn tires and it can be proven that the reported damage was caused by this negligence
By the way, if you transport objects in your car, your comprehensive insurance will not cover them if they are damaged in an accident, but your household contents insurance or a transport insurance will.
If your vehicle is stolen or damaged to such an extent that it is a total loss, the insurance company will only pay you a replacement value, but not the new value of your vehicle. The replacement value is equal to the current value of your vehicle immediately before the damage. The value of your vehicle also determines the payment of repair costs. The comprehensive insurance covers the repair after an accident completely, provided that the repair costs do not exceed the residual value of your vehicle.
Insurance supplements
Driver insurance
After reading about how your car is covered in a self-inflicted accident, you're probably wondering what about you?. After all, in an accident not only your car suffers damage, but possibly also you. Driver protection insurance applies to all authorized drivers (i.E. All those who are allowed to drive the vehicle according to the insurance contract) and pays you compensation for your personal injury in the event of a self-inflicted or contributory traffic accident.
These costs primarily include:
– compensation for pain and suffering – possible loss of earnings due to the accident – household help needed after the accident – disability-related modifications – survivor's pension
The amount of coverage is usually the same as the amount of coverage for bodily injury caused by other parties involved in the accident. Pay particular attention to the small print. Many insurers limit their benefits. May ultimately only pay for your inpatient hospital stay. If you have a private accident insurance, compare the benefits offered by a driver protection insurance with those of your private accident insurance. This is how you find out whether driver protection insurance is worthwhile for you. After all, it costs around 10 percent of your motor vehicle liability insurance premium. Your private accident insurance usually covers the benefits as well.
Passenger accident insurance
A car insurance portfolio is large. So, in addition to driver's accident insurance for you, there is also passenger accident insurance for your passengers. It covers all accidents directly related to the use of your car. This includes not only driving, but also getting in and out of the car, as well as loading and unloading it.
Think carefully about whether you want to take out passenger accident insurance. Because your passengers are already covered in a self-inflicted accident via your. In an accident caused by someone else, you are covered by the other party's motor vehicle liability insurance.
Protective cover
You want to return home from work in the evening and the engine is on strike? Or you don't know where to go after an accident with a car you can no longer drive? A protection policy covers risks that can occur while driving – at home and abroad. So if you break down, you don't have to pay for repairs or towing out of your own pocket. No matter if your car breaks down close to home or on vacation.
The most important features of a protection policy are:
– Immediate assistance at the scene of damage – Vehicle repatriation – Recovery and securing of the car in the event of an accident – Shipping of spare parts – Car customs clearance or scrapping – Rental car costs – Overnight accommodation costs after breakdown or accident – Medical repatriation – Repatriation of children – Onward and return journey service
A protection letter is often offered very favorably in the context of the motor vehicle liability insurance. However, if you have just bought a new car or are a member of an automobile club, you should carefully consider whether you would also like to take out a protection policy.
Many vehicle manufacturers offer a mobility guarantee when you buy a new car. In the event of an accident or breakdown, the manufacturer's own breakdown service will be called out, which can often provide faster and better assistance thanks to precise knowledge of the model series of your car. Your membership in an automobile club also covers all the services and costs that a cover letter offers you. Also other club memberships. Even credit cards can include a car cover letter. Therefore, check whether you are already covered or not.
Legal expenses insurance for motorists
Traffic legal protection insurance covers you in many legal areas relating to road traffic. But not only you. Your passengers are also covered. It doesn't matter whether you drive your own car or a rented one. The insurance also helps you in the event of a dispute after a car purchase and also after accidents that happen to you as a pedestrian or cyclist.
The following costs are covered by the traffic legal protection insurance:
– Lawyer, court and expert witness costs for your own damage claims after a traffic accident – Lawyer, court and expert witness costs for charges of alleged hit-and-run, negligent bodily injury caused by an accident or for insulting another road user – Lawyer and court costs for legal disputes concerning your car purchase or the financing of your car – Lawyer and court costs for appeals against a penalty notice – Legal disputes concerning vehicle tax or the suspension of your driver's license
When taking out traffic legal protection insurance, make sure that the amount insured is 500.000 and that prosecution abroad is also insured if you are also on the road a lot there. Accidents can happen anywhere.
GAP coverage
Let's face it: a new car with full equipment is something nice, isn't it?? Unfortunately, such a car also costs a lot of money. However, many car dealerships now offer leased vehicles. So you don't have to buy the car and immediately put several thousand euros on the table, but can "rent" the car for a fixed period of time and, if desired, take it over afterwards.
But what if the car is very badly damaged in an accident or the car is stolen?? Because you don't own the car, you should take out GAP cover in addition to your comprehensive insurance. Because if you have a totaled car accident or your car is stolen, you have to financially compensate the lessor. Since the comprehensive insurance only pays the replacement value, but not the new value of your car, there can be a large difference between the insurance sum paid and the remaining leasing amounts still due. The GAP coverage closes this gap for you and takes over the difference.
In most cases, GAP coverage is an integral part of a leasing contract. However, if not, you should purchase this in addition to the comprehensive insurance from your insurer. By the way: The higher the redemption sum in the leasing contract, the more important is a GAP coverage. In this way, after a total loss accident, you will not only be without a car, but you will also be left with high debts.
Mallorca Policy
Do you like to travel abroad with rental cars? In many vacation countries, especially in Southern Europe, the minimum insurance amounts are lower than in Germany. This means that if you cause a traffic accident with a rental car and the other party's claims for damages against you are higher than the agreed minimum insurance amount, you have to pay the difference. With a Majorca policy, you extend your motor liability insurance to include protection abroad, as it compensates claims for damages as soon as the damage exceeds the agreed minimum coverage amount.
Green card
If you are driving your own car, your motor vehicle liability and comprehensive insurance is valid throughout Europe. The Green Card is the proof abroad that you are insured and contains all important data. In many European countries, the green card has been compulsory since 1 January 2009. May 2004 but no longer obligatory to carry, because the license plate is sufficient.
Although the Green Card is no longer mandatory in all countries, it can make it easier to settle claims in the event of an accident abroad. By the way, you still have to carry the green card in the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and the Czech Republic. You get it free of charge on request from your insurer.
Gross negligence
If you run a red light, use your smartphone while driving or even drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you are acting grossly negligent in the eyes of the insurer. What this means for you. Your insurance? If an accident occurs due to your negligent behavior, your insurance company can refuse to settle the claim or. Initially assumed costs from you back claim. The severity of the negligence is decisive, whether the insurance refuses to pay the accident costs or only reduces them.
Main due date
When does a car insurance contract begin??
The main due date refers to the point in time from which you enjoy motor vehicle insurance cover. This refers to the due date of the benefits from the insurer. Policyholder at the beginning of the insurance year. In other words: you receive the insurance cover. Your insurer receives an insurance premium. For most car insurances, the insurance relationship starts on the 1. January.
There are also insurers who deviate from the standard date of the main due date. If the main due date falls on the day of the conclusion of the contract, it is a so-called in-year contract. If you conclude a contract during the year, this does not mean any disadvantage for you. Insurance contracts have a standard notice period of one month. In the case of a contract during the year, this is adapted to your contract conclusion, i.E. The main due date. As long as the main due date is on the 1. January, there is a cut-off date for cancellation that you may be familiar with: the 30. November.
Liability
Who is liable when?
So now let's get down to brass tacks! Are you a vehicle owner, owner or driver? Often these terms are used synonymously, but they differ in their rights and obligations. Vehicle owner and owner can be two different persons. In the case of leasing, you are the owner of the vehicle, since you use the car economically, but as long as you have not paid all the leasing installments and the redemption sum, it belongs to the leasing company. On the other hand, you can be the owner of a car that, for reasons of cost, is registered and insured in your parents' name and for which you are registered as a driver.
As the vehicle owner, you must provide liability protection and are liable for accidents of the driver, regardless of whether you drive the car yourself or not.
If you regularly lend your car to friends, your car insurance will cover the damages in the event of an accident, since the motor vehicle liability insurance is tied to your car. The insurance coverage is therefore. However, before renting your car, check your insurance conditions. If no other drivers are allowed besides you, your insurance company can refuse to pay or demand a penalty in the event of a claim.
Of course, this does not apply to emergency situations in which the passenger has to step in because you feel sick or the neighbor has to take his girlfriend, who is about to give birth, to the hospital in your car because his car is in the workshop at that time.
By the way, as the vehicle owner you are also liable for administrative offences and criminal offences committed by the driver. Your duty as a vehicle owner is to ensure that your car is used properly and in accordance with the applicable regulations. If you lend your car to a friend without a driver's license or to a friend who drives under the influence of alcohol, not only will your insurance not cover the costs in the event of an accident, but you will also face criminal consequences in the form of a prison sentence.
However, if your car is moved without your knowledge, for example after a theft, you are not liable in the event of an accident or a crime.
By the way, the vehicle owner must be registered at the registration office. The name that appears in the vehicle registration certificate and in the vehicle title is considered as proof of the vehicle owner. And if necessary also as proof for the owner. Because regardless of the fact that there are the above constellations, you can of course also be the vehicle owner, owner and driver. It only becomes challenging for your insurance company and you if different people fulfill these items. What are no-claims classes. How many there are?The no-claims class certifies the number of years in which you have driven without an accident or claim. And best of all: Your car insurance rewards you with a discounted premium. Your SF class is assigned a percentage value that positively influences your insurance premium. The higher your SF class, the cheaper the insurance premium. The only condition for upgrading: your insurance coverage must be continuous for at least six months.
After a claim, you will be downgraded to a lower SF class, i.E. Your claim-free years will be reassessed after an accident. As a novice driver, you will be classified in SF class 0, since the insurance companies see a higher accident risk in you due to a statistically higher accident rate.
Overall 39 classes required by law. These are only covered by your Motor vehicle liability– and Comprehensive insurance important.
The no-claims classes and their conditions:
By the way, only accidents and damages that you have reported to your insurance company and whose settlement they have taken over count for the classification in the no-claims class. If you have paid for the damage yourself, it will not be taken into account in the reclassification.
Claims
Which damage cases are insurance tricky?
Marten bite
Marten bites can cause more damage than can be seen at first glance. Your partial cover insurance will pay for marten damage, but usually only for direct damage, i.E. Nibbled or completely bitten through cables. Consequential damage is not covered by many insurers. A marten damage can lead up to engine damage. Will z. B. If a coolant hose is bitten through, the result of the leaking coolant can be overheating and severely damage the engine.
If you want to protect yourself against consequential damage and its financial consequences, make sure when taking out a policy that not only direct damage caused by a marten bite is covered. Many insurance companies pay extra for this protection, others insure you for direct and consequential damages. A comparison is not only worthwhile for your wallet, but also for the safety of your car.
Damage caused by game
Your comprehensive insurance only covers damage caused by a collision or evasive maneuver with so-called furred game, i.E. Wild boars, deer, stags and foxes. But other animals do not automatically obey the traffic rules, so a collision with cattle, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, dogs or cats is also possible. In the meantime, insurers offer an extension and also cover damage to these animals.
By the way, your partial cover insurance only covers the costs of damage caused by game if your car was in motion during the accident. This means that if a wild boar runs into your parked car, the partial cover insurance does not usually pay for the damage caused. If you have taken out comprehensive insurance, it will also cover damage to the stationary car caused by game.
In the case of damage caused by game, the burden of proof lies with you. The insurance does not recognize a game damage by collision or an evasive maneuver without certificate of the hunter, police report and accident photos. If you cannot prove the game accident, the insurance company refuses to pay and you are left with the damage.
Third parties may also suffer damage in the event of a wildlife accident. However, they are covered by your motor liability insurance. No matter whether it is a matter of personal injury or property damage.
Avalanches
Winter presents you as a motorist with a number of obstacles: slippery roads, icy windows and snow. If your parked car is hit by a roof avalanche, in the best case your partial cover insurance will cover damage to the glass panes, further damage will be covered by your fully comprehensive insurance.
If you live in an area where it snows often and a lot, there is a higher risk that your car will be hit and damaged by a snow avalanche. This can be reflected in your insurance premium, since insurance companies demand a few percent extra due to the risk. Therefore, you should obtain several insurance quotes in this regard.
Short circuit
Water in the engine compartment or a broken cable can quickly lead to a short circuit. In the worst case even to fire and fire damage. Your partial cover insurance pays out for damage caused by fire. Short circuit in the wiring. But it is not always enough to replace the damaged cables that led to the short circuit. Because short circuits can cause further damage to the aggregates such as alternator, radio, starter or battery and these damages are not covered by the partial cover insurance. These are consequential damages that are not automatically included in your insurance coverage. However, there is an extension for the partial cover insurance that covers consequential damage caused by short circuits.
Gross negligence
It is crucial for your comprehensive insurance that damage did not occur because of a failure of due diligence on your part. If you do not obey the traffic regulations, pay no attention to the stop sign or leave the key in the ignition, which encourages car theft, you are acting with gross negligence. Because the risk of causing an accident or damage is greater than usual at these times. Your insurance company will check each claim and the circumstances of the accident and if it proves gross negligence, it will refuse to cover the costs of the damage or, depending on the severity of the gross negligence, reduce the payment. You are then left with the costs of your damage or have to cover a large part of the costs yourself.
You can also insure yourself against gross negligence in your comprehensive insurance policy. However, pay close attention to the conditions regarding the waiver of gross negligence, as insurers differ in their benefits. Especially leaving the ignition key in the ignition should be covered. Because let's face it, in hectic or unforeseen situations, that can happen.
Environmental damage
You cause a traffic accident and as a result oil seeps into the ground, into the groundwater or contaminates the street. An oil spill at the scene of an accident can also pose a safety or health risk to other people, plants and animals, so it must be cleaned up quickly. Personal injury, property damage and financial losses are covered by motor vehicle liability insurance. But who pays for damage to the environment, which is not unlikely as a side effect of an accident? Simple answer: your motor vehicle liability insurance. However, it is not a matter of taking responsibility for damage to your car, but of avoiding damage to third parties. The repair of your leaking oil pan is paid exclusively by comprehensive insurance.
Theft
You want to go to work in the morning and your car is gone. Theft, says the police! With your comprehensive insurance you are covered in case of theft. The insurance company will pay you for the damage. But not the amount you paid for your car. Why, you ask? The loss of value of a new car is quite high in the first year, so insurance companies are guided by a replacement value. This is determined by a motor vehicle expert and should correspond to the value that your car had at the time of the theft. Consequently, the replacement value allows you to buy a car with similar equipment and mileage.
A new value indemnity replaces the new or purchase price of your car for the first twelve months. A purchase price indemnity replaces you in the first twelve months even the purchase price of a young used car. Mostly these extensions do not cost any extra in the comprehensive insurance. If you plan to buy a new car or a car with a previous daily registration, you should consider whether such an addition would make sense. The best way to do this is to look at statistics in your area to see how many cars are stolen from your front door.
Personal injury
If there is a crash between two cars or a bicyclist or pedestrian and a car, unfortunately it rarely remains with fender benders. Damage suffered by people during a traffic accident can usually be more extensive than previously thought. Your motor vehicle liability insurance covers personal injuries. This includes healing and consequential costs in case of injuries and death as well as compensation for pain and suffering. The minimum amount of coverage is 7.5 million euros. But what if you are in the car with your friends and cause an accident with a full coach? Then claims for damages can quickly exceed the minimum coverage amount, you think? If this is the case, you are personally liable for the difference. Therefore, it is for your own safety to take out motor liability insurance with a much higher coverage amount.
Combined ratio
What does the combined ratio mean??
Now it gets a bit number-heavy! The combined ratio is an indicator of how profitable an insurance company is. The ratio is determined by putting all the expenses incurred, which include the cost of claims incurred, administration or even the conclusion of an insurance contract, in relation to the premium income of a contract. If the calculated ratio is greater than 1 (or. 100 percent), the insurance company makes losses. Insurance companies can lower the rate by u.A. Make adjustments to premium income.
The higher the combined ratio, the more likely it is that your premium payments will be increased in the next insurance year. Before signing a contract, it is best to find out about the combined ratio of the insurer of your choice.
Register your car
How does the vehicle registration work?
You are not allowed to participate in road traffic until your vehicle has been registered. If you want to register your car or motorcycle, caravan or trailer at the vehicle registration office, you must present a certificate of insurance to prove that there is liability coverage for your vehicle.
The eVB number, a seven-digit combination of numbers and letters, is required to register and also re-register your vehicle. The eVB number contains the most important information about your vehicle and you as the policyholder. Don't be irritated: When changing the insurance of a registered car, the eVB number is called eVBÜ.
The eVB number is only valid for 3 months. It also expires immediately after use and registration. If you want to change the registration of your car because you are moving to a new place of residence, you will need a new eVB number from your insurer.
You can register your vehicle in person or by proxy. This can be a relative, acquaintance or the dealership where you bought your car. For registration by proxy is a power of attorney signed by you. A copy of your identity card is necessary. From the 1. October 2019, you can register your vehicle if it was first registered after 1 October 2019. January 2015 lies, also (re)register, deregister and re-register online. For Internet-based vehicle registration, you need an ID card with the online function activated and a card reader or Android smartphone.