A burst pipe on Saturday night, a rear-end collision, a forced patio door after the holiday: nobody thinks about paragraphs in that moment. Yet the first hours often decide whether the insurer pays in full, reduces the payout or rejects the claim.
1. Report without delay
Notify the insurer without undue delay (§ 30 VVG). Many conditions set a deadline – motor insurance model conditions say one week (AKB E.1.1.1). Stiftung Warentest recommends the same day; waiting longer than a week is often judged grossly negligent. Confirm phone calls by e-mail.
2. Your duties after the loss
- Keep the damage small (§ 82 VVG) and follow the insurer’s instructions.
- Provide information and receipts (§ 31 VVG).
- Tell the truth – exaggerating can cost the whole claim.
Under § 28 VVG: with intent the insurer pays nothing; with gross negligence it may reduce the payout proportionally to your fault; with simple negligence nothing happens. If your breach did not affect the loss, it must still pay in full. The insurer bears the burden of proof and must have warned you in text form.
3. Secure evidence
Photos from several angles, witnesses, and the police for burglary, theft, vandalism, hit-and-run and any injury. In household insurance the police report and the list of stolen items (Stehlgutliste), filed with police and insurer, are mandatory. Do not repair or throw anything away prematurely – emergency repairs are allowed and required, but photograph first and keep broken parts.
4. By line
| Line | What applies |
|---|---|
| Motor | Report without delay, model conditions: one week. |
| Household / building | Burglary: police immediately, list of stolen items. |
| Liability | Describe what happened, but do not admit fault or pay yourself – the insurer examines and defends. |
| Legal expenses | Cover confirmation first, then the lawyer. |
5. Damage to your car caused by someone else
The other driver’s liability insurer pays. You may choose the workshop (§ 249 BGB) and, for larger losses, appoint your own expert at the insurer’s expense. Below the minor-damage threshold – courts mostly set it between roughly €750 and €1,000 – a cost estimate with photos is enough.
6. When the money comes
Payment is due once checking is complete (§ 14 VVG); after one month you may demand an advance. Claims are time-barred after three years from the end of the year they arose (§§ 195, 199 BGB); the period is suspended while the insurer reviews your notice (§ 15 VVG).
7. Rejection or reduction
Ask for reasons in text form, object in writing, then contact the Insurance Ombudsman: free, binding on the insurer up to €10,000, a recommendation up to €100,000. After a claim both sides may cancel up to one month after the settlement negotiations end (§ 92 VVG) – see Notice periods.
What your broker does
As an independent insurance broker (freier Versicherungsmakler) I am your contact in a claim, not the insurer’s. Claims support is part of the broker mandate: I check completeness, missing documents and whether a reduction is justified, and I handle the correspondence.
How to proceed
- Secure: remove danger, keep damage small, call the police for crimes and injuries.
- Document: photos, witnesses, receipts – repair nothing before the insurer agrees.
- Report: the same day, within a week at the latest.
- Cooperate: answer honestly, admit nothing.
- Follow up: demand an advance after one month, object and contact the ombudsman if rejected.
General information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Sources: German Insurance Contract Act (§§ 14, 15, 28, 30, 31, 82, 92, 105 VVG), §§ 195, 199, 249 BGB, model motor insurance conditions (AKB), Versicherungsombudsmann e. V. (brochure 9/2026), consumer advice centres, Stiftung Warentest, ADAC – as of October 2026. Facing a claim right now? Get in touch.
