You have just bought your first car and after a short time it suddenly happened: You had a car accident with third-party debt and there is major damage to your vehicle. The person who caused the accident and you exchange data and you turn on your insurance company. Normally, the opposing insurance company commissions an appraiser in this case. But you can and should do this yourself so that you can be sure and not be cheated. The opposing insurance company will in turn try to keep the costs as low as possible for itself. An accident report is only available at the request of the insurance companyor created by you. Here we explain what an accident report is, what it includes and what you have to consider.
How To Get Accident Reports Online
After a traffic accident, a few questions often remain unanswered:
- What was the exact course of the accident ?
- Who is responsible for the accident ?
- What damage has occurred?
An accident report by a professional expert serves to clarify these questions. It is intended to determine what damage was caused by the accident. This also documents non-obvious damage such as a warped trunk. This gives you evidence of the damage that has occurred and the damage can be settled.
You do not bear the costs for an accident report unless you are responsible for the accident. The Federal Court of Justice ruled that this is part of the accident costs. An average accident report can cost between 500 and 800 euros. There is no deadline for the report, but you must report the damage to the insurance company within one week.
Damage report after an accident: expert or workshop?
If you have damage documented and quantified after an accident in order to assert claims, you have two options. On the one hand you can hire an appraiser to document the damage, on the other hand you can also consult a workshop you trust. They also record the damage and provide a cost estimate that you can present to the insurance company. In the case of minor damage up to 750 euros, going to the workshop, including the preparation of a cost estimate, is definitely the better and most cost-effective solution.
In such cases, the cost of an expert opinion violates the duty to mitigate damage. However, in the case of a dispute, a cost estimate is not considered evidence in court. In addition, you usually have to pay for damage that comes to light afterwards, such as a warped door. Because the insurance of the person who caused the accident always refers to the lower price of the cost estimate.
An official report, on the other hand, also lists damage items that are not mentioned in a cost estimate. The depreciation that has arisen is also taken into account. In addition to the calculation of costs, the report is also valid evidence in court. If the workshop finds damage afterwards that was not yet included in the report, the insurance company will bear the cost of the repair.
But regardless of whether you have an expert report drawn up or a cost estimate : In both cases, the vehicle liability insurance of the person who caused the accident is liable for the costs.
Self-inflicted or third-party-inflicted accident? – Legal basis in the event of damage
In the event of an accident, it always depends on whether the accident was caused by someone else's fault or by your own fault.
The legal situation is clear in the case of an accident caused by someone else. The person who caused the accident or his motor vehicle liability insurance pays the expert, the repair and all personal injury, property damage and consequential damage. You can also choose an independent reviewer. Because the experts selected by the opposing insurance company often decide in favor of the other party involved in the accident.
In the event of a self-inflicted accident, you need partial or fully comprehensive motor vehicle insurance in order to claim damages at all. The same applies to damage caused by force majeure, such as the weather, damage caused by vandalism or accidents caused by wildlife. Here you can also commission an expert opinion for an expert opinion, but you have to bear the costs yourself if you do not have comprehensive insurance.
How much does a professional accident report cost?
The cost of an appraiser usually depends on the amount of the damage. Experts usually have special tables in which fixed amounts are specified for specific services and are used for cost accounting:
Net Amount of Loss Basic Fee
750 euros 199 – 264 euros
1,000 euros 245 – 310 euros
2,000 euros 364 – 426 euros
5,000 euros 573 – 657 euros
10,000 euros 815 – 933 euros
If you don't know which reviewer to contact, we can also recommend someone to you. You can also find independent experts at the German Association of Experts and Experts or at TÜV. Except for minor damage, it usually makes sense to hire an appraiser to get the damage reimbursed in full.
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