Motor vehicle liability insurance is mandatory, but not all insurance is equally good. Since damage from car accidents often runs into the millions, you should make sure you have a high level of coverage – preferably 100 million euros.
The essentials in brief:
- Motor vehicle liability insurance is required by law. Without it, no vehicle will be registered.
- With comprehensive insurance you can insure your vehicle more comprehensively. This is voluntary and is often only worthwhile for expensive (new) vehicles.
- Motor vehicle accident insurance is almost always unnecessary.
- A car protection letter can be important when traveling abroad.
Regardless of whether it is a car, motorcycle, motorhome, scooter, moped, quad, S-Pedelec, e-scooter…: All owners of a motor vehicle (motor vehicle) must have liability insurance.
There are also a number of other insurance products. We present the most important ones here and explain when you need them and how to find the right contract.
Motor vehicle liability insurance
As the owner of a motor vehicle, you are legally obliged to have one Motor vehicle liability insurance to complete. Even with a leased vehicle, you are the owner and have to take care of the insurance. As the owner, you are also responsible for ensuring that liability insurance applies to everyone who drives the vehicle.
The insurance is intended to ensure that the victim is compensated even if the person who caused an accident cannot pay or would be financially ruined by the victim’s claims.
That’s why you should too never drive without insurance: In the case of serious injuries, the claims can easily run into the millions, which you have to cover yourself without insurance.
In exchange for small premium surcharges, insurers also offer higher coverage amounts than the legally required minimum level. We recommend taking out a contract with very high coverage, if possible 100 million euros. That may sound like a lot, but such sums occur in accidents with many people involved.
If an accident occurs, the liability insurance company checks whether claims from accident victims are justified. It then takes on two tasks:
- Does the liability insurer consider the claims? unjustified, he fights them off at his own expense, if necessary in court. Liability insurance therefore offers so-called “passive” legal protection.
- Does the insurance company consider the claims? justifiedit pays the damage – up to the amounts agreed in the insurance policy.
Such compensation that the insurance company has to pay to accident victims can include, among others:
- loss of earnings
- personal injury compensation
- a lifelong pension in the event of occupational disability
- Property damage (e.g. repair costs, compensation for depreciation of the vehicle or its replacement value)
- If the injured party needs a rental car during the repair time or the delivery time for a replacement vehicle, the rental car will also be paid for. Instead of a rental car, injured parties can also claim loss of use.
The insurer cannot refuse payment even if the person who caused the accident was grossly negligent. However, the insurer can demand up to 5,000 euros from the driver for the following violations:
- If you used the vehicle for a purpose other than that agreed upon (private vehicle used commercially as a taxi).
- If you drove without a license.
- If you were not allowed to use the vehicle (e.g. if it was stolen).
- You are driving while drunk or intoxicated.
- They take part in illegal races.
- You leave the scene of an accident without permission (also called hit-and-run).
For example, you have no insurance cover at all for damage caused intentionally (legally: intentionally) or unlawfully.
Further insurance products, deadlines and obligations
2023-10-24 07:46:50
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