Audit and expert opinion
Accident through no fault of your own? Sit back and relax - we'll take care of it.
From vehicle appraisals and motor vehicle damage appraisals to comprehensive claims management, our experts are at your side and support you in enforcing your claims.
In the event of an accident, it is crucial to document the damage to your vehicle precisely and impartially. Our experts will prepare a detailed accident report for you that accurately and impartially establishes the damage. We secure all relevant evidence and comprehensively document the extent of the damage and the claim for compensation. This gives you the certainty that all aspects of the accident have been properly recorded.
Our expert reports are not only precise, but also legally recognised and help you as reliable evidence in legal disputes.
Our experts support you with a motor vehicle accident report when it comes to enforcing your claim after an accident.
The preparation of a damage appraisal follows a standardised and structured process. Our experienced car accident assessors ensure that your damaged vehicle is professionally recorded and documented.
After a car accident, you should have your damaged vehicle assessed as quickly as possible. Safety-relevant damage should be clarified as soon as possible. Otherwise, the vehicle damage may worsen due to environmental influences, further use or improper handling, for example.
Inform your comprehensive and liability insurance as soon as possible after an accident.
As a rule, you do not have the free choice of an expert to prepare an appraisal for you in the event of an accident caused by your own fault. However, if your comprehensive insurance agrees and you are allowed to appoint an expert yourself, then commission TÜV NORD Mobilität to carry out a damage assessment.
Please do not forget: Be sure to obtain the consent of your insurance company beforehand.
TÜV NORD Mobilität has a number of ÖBUVs who have been appointed by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to carry out court-compliant appraisals for motor vehicle damage and vehicle valuations.
A list of all accident assessors can be found here (sorted alphabetically by the relevant Chamber of Industry and Commerce).
As the injured party in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, you should always obtain an expert opinion on the amount of damage if it is likely to exceed the minor damage limit of €1,000.00 including VAT. Up to this limit, a brief expert opinion with a repair cost calculation can be a sensible alternative to a cost estimate.
Only an expert can determine the actual amount of damage. The cost estimate drawn up by the car dealership is only a technically correct representation of the repair costs. A cost estimate is not sufficient, especially if there is a reduction in value for newer vehicles, a loss of use or an economic total loss, as a repair company cannot show these. Under certain circumstances, you would forgo justified claims. Should a legal dispute arise, only an independent expert opinion can be the basis for enforcing your claims.
The insurance company's experts generally calculate "with a sharp pencil", so you cannot be sure that all justified claims will be fully considered.
An independent expert for car accidents ensures that your rights are protected.
A lawyer offers specialised knowledge in traffic law and can provide you with comprehensive advice. They will ensure that all your justified claims are asserted and enforced. You save time and effort as the lawyer or a lawyer from the claims portal takes care of communication and processing. You benefit from legal certainty and minimise the risk of overlooking or incorrectly assessing claims. The other party's insurance company will often pay the lawyer's fees if your claims are justified.
The preparation of an accident report usually takes between 24 and 72 hours after the vehicle has been inspected. The exact period depends on how extensive the damage is and whether additional tests such as wheel alignment or fault memory readout are required.
In the case of more complex damage or if follow-up investigations are necessary, the preparation of the report may take slightly longer. As a rule, however, you will receive your complete report as a PDF document within a few working days - which can also be forwarded directly to your insurance company or lawyer on request.
If you have indicated in the signed fee agreement that TÜV NORD should inform the relevant insurance company or the appointed lawyer directly with the expert opinion and the attached invoice, you do not need to do anything further.
However, if you have not provided any information in this regard, it is your responsibility to forward the documents sent to the insurance company or your lawyer yourself. We have compiled a sample letter for you.
In the event of an accident for which we are not at fault, this is a claim for damages that must be paid by the insurance company of the party at fault.
If agreed with us, the insurance company should transfer the payment of our expert costs directly to the authorised TÜV NORD GROUP company.
If the insurance company has already transferred the invoice amount to you, you must forward it to TÜV NORD yourself. As the client of a contract for work and labour, you are generally obliged to assume the costs if the service provided is not settled by the insurance company.
These letters are not automatically forwarded to the insurance company by TÜV NORD. Therefore, ask the insurance company for immediate payment and send the payment reminder or reminder with it. We have compiled corresponding sample letters for you.
If your case is being handled by a lawyer, please forward the documents to them immediately.
In this case, it is not a contractual claim, but a statutory claim of the injured party.
The insurance company is obliged to pay compensation. It may only reduce this if you have breached your duty to minimise the damage. The arguments often used by the insurance company that the services are too expensive or not customary in the area are not valid. You can consult a lawyer if necessary.
The injured party may take measures that an average economic person would consider necessary to remedy the damage, but without enriching himself in the process.
Otherwise, the claim for compensation may be reduced accordingly.
Occasionally, the insurance company demands that you as the injured party declare a step-by-step assignment for the payment of the expert costs. The insurance company would like to put itself in the position of the injured party and attempt to assert possible contractual claims against a TÜV NORD GROUP company itself.
You can sign this assignment without hesitation. If the insurance company pays the full expert costs, the matter is closed for you and no further payments are required on your part.
This can only happen in two cases:
In these cases, you must bear the expert costs yourself as the client.
In the event of a liability quota (= partial fault in the accident), the insurance company will only pay the expert costs up to the amount of the recognised liability quota. You as the client must pay the remaining amount yourself.
If you have fully comprehensive insurance, you may also be able to claim the additional costs there. You can consult a lawyer for this.
If you assert your claims in court, please understand that you will first have to pay the expert costs yourself. Due to the often long duration of the proceedings, it is not possible to wait any longer.
If you win the legal dispute, the opposing insurance company will reimburse you the expert costs, possibly plus interest.