Germany is one of the top countries where the risk of getting into an accident is minimal, but, unfortunately, no one is immune from a traffic accident. Find out how to behave in the event of an accident on German roads and what to do after an accident to compensate for damages

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The safety of road users is a priority in Germany, and that is why the country has a strict system of penalties and fines for non-compliance with traffic rules. And although Germany is one of the countries with the lowest risk of getting into an accident, this situation can happen to anyone. That is why today we will tell you what to do in case of a traffic accident in Germany and how to act to receive compensation for damage to your car.

Read more about ecological zones and toll roads in Germany here.

What you need to have to drive a car in Germany

First of all, when driving on German roads, make sure you have everything you need to drive safely:

– original driver's license

– technical passport for the car;

– Green Card insurance policy (for cars with foreign (non-German) registration);

– a copy of the car insurance contract;

– European emergency protocol;

– telephone numbers for emergency calls to special services and the insurance company;

– warning vests for the driver and passengers, a triangle to warn other road users;

– a complete first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

What to do in the event of an accident in Germany: an algorithm of actions

Do not leave the scene of the accident under any circumstances! According to Paragraph 142 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), fleeing the scene of an accident (even if you hit a car in a parking lot) will be considered a hit-and-run and will be punishable by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine.

If you have been involved in an accident, you should first take the following four steps:

1. Secure the accident site (use the car's hazard lights, put on vests, put up a triangle). If the car does not pose a threat to other cars, you do not need to move it from the scene.

2. Check the consequences and scale of the accident, call the necessary services (police - number 110 and ambulance - number 112). The European protocol (Unfallbericht) is filled out with the consent of the parties to the accident and only in case of minor damage and no victims of the accident.

3. Check for victims and provide first aid if necessary.

4. Notify your insurance company of the accident.

It is important to record the consequences of the accident in a photo or video, as well as to exchange contact information with other participants in the accident. If possible, you should collect contact details of the accident witnesses.

After registering the fact of the accident (with the help of the European protocol or the police), find out whether your car can move on, if not, whether it is allowed to remain parked. If the car is not running and you cannot leave it on the road, you need to call a tow truck (Abschlepper).

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What to do if you hit a parked car in Germany

If you hit someone else's car, but the driver of the other vehicle was not at the scene of the accident, you need to stop and wait for the owner of the damaged car. If he or she does not appear, you must leave a note with your contact information and information about your insurance company before you leave. 

What to do after an accident in Germany: contacting the insurance company and compensation for damages

The Haftpflichtversicherung (personal liability insurance) of the person responsible for the accident must reimburse the damages for the repair of the damaged car, as well as related expenses (such as calling a tow truck, hiring a damage assessor (Gutachten), etc. If the culprit of the accident is the owner of a car with foreign registration, he or she must provide the details of his or her Green Card insurance policy.

Therefore, if necessary, after an accident, you need to hire a lawyer (Anwalt) to handle the case on your behalf, as well as contact a damage assessment specialist to calculate the damages.

After the damage assessment, you will be offered several options:

1.Repair of the car and Wertminderung compensation (i.e. reduction of the price of the car as if it had already been in an accident). But it is important to note that such compensation is not always offered and the decision depends on many factors: age, condition, mileage of the car before the accident, etc. 

2. Compensation for damage without repair. This is the so-called Wirtschaftlicher Totalschaden. This approach is used when the cost of repairs exceeds the cost of the car itself.

3. Reimbursement of part of the repair or damage. This option is possible if you are partly to blame for the accident.

Remember! In order to drive freely in Germany and 48 other countries of the world in a car with Ukrainian registration, the driver must have a Green Card insurance policy. The absence or delay of insurance is fraught not only with fines that are several dozen times higher than the cost of the insurance policy for a year, but also with the seizure of the car and deportation from the country with a subsequent ban on entry. You can take out insurance for the required period on our website. Read more about the amount of fines in Europe for not having a Green Card here.

We remind you! Ukrainians who have entered Germany by their own car and stay in the country for more than a year are required to register and undergo a vehicle inspection. Read about the simplified TÜV inspection procedure for cars with Ukrainian registration, which frees owners from many bureaucratic procedures in our previous article.

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