Commissioning an accident report – TÜV NORD damage assessment report

A motor vehicle accident report is a document drawn up by an independent expert which provides an impartial and legally admissible record of all damage to your vehicle following a road traffic accident.

It sets out repair costs, loss of value, replacement value and residual value. The cost of a motor vehicle accident report typically ranges from 300 to 1,000 euros – however, in the event of an accident through no fault of your own, these costs are covered in full by the third-party liability insurance of the person who caused the accident. This means that, as the injured party, you will not incur any costs.

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.

A motor vehicle accident report is a document drawn up by an independent expert which provides an impartial and legally admissible record of all damage to your vehicle following a road traffic accident.

It sets out repair costs, loss of value, replacement value and residual value. The cost of a motor vehicle accident report typically ranges from 300 to 1,000 euros – however, in the event of an accident through no fault of your own, these costs are covered in full by the third-party liability insurance of the person who caused the accident. This means that, as the injured party, you will not incur any costs.

You are not obliged to commission an expert report following an accident – but if the damage exceeds 1,000 euros, it is strongly recommended.

Only an independent accident report will safeguard all your claims: repair costs, loss of value, loss of use and compensation for pain and suffering. As the injured party, commission your own expert – never rely solely on the one appointed by the other party’s insurance company.

Yes. Our experts draw up the TÜV NORD damage assessment report for all types of vehicle – including electric and hybrid vehicles. For electric vehicles, the motor vehicle accident report also includes, on request, an assessment of the battery and the high-voltage system.

Publicly appointed experts are sworn in to carry out their expert services independently, without receiving instructions, personally, conscientiously and impartially, and are bound by a duty of confidentiality. In accordance with the rules of procedure, they are to be given priority in court proceedings (Section 404(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO), Section 73(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO), Section 173 of the Administrative Court Rules (VwGO)).

To be publicly appointed, experts must demonstrate specific expertise, practical experience and personal suitability. This is verified by the appointing body upon initial appointment and, following the expiry of the appointment – which is generally limited to five years – also upon reappointment.

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. 

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.

A hit-and-run, or officially ‘leaving the scene of an accident without authorisation’, occurs when a party involved in a road traffic accident leaves the scene without allowing the necessary investigations to take place.

That depends on the extent of the damage and the situation:

• In the case of minor damage (e.g. a parking bump): at least 30 minutes.
• In the case of more serious damage or injuries: until the police or those involved arrive.

Anyone who commits a hit-and-run offence faces serious consequences:

• A fine or a prison sentence of up to 3 years.
• 3 points on their driving licence in Flensburg.
• Withdrawal of their driving licence.
• Loss of insurance cover.

Although motor third-party liability insurance will initially cover the damage to third parties, it may seek recourse against you for up to €5,000. Comprehensive insurance policies (partial or fully comprehensive) often refuse to pay out at all.
 

Even in the event of a minor parking collision, you must:

• wait at the scene of the accident,
• leaving a note is not sufficient (and may even be regarded as a hit-and-run),
• call the police if the vehicle owner does not turn up.

If you realise that you have caused damage – even after the event – you should go straight to the nearest police station and report the accident. Reporting it later may reduce the penalty.

In winter, road conditions can change very quickly. You should therefore always check the latest conditions before setting off.

Black ice poses a particularly serious danger and often occurs on days when temperatures fluctuate around freezing point.

Keep an eye out for fog and hoar frost on trees – these can be tell-tale signs. It’s important to keep a cool head: reduce your speed and increase the distance between you and other vehicles. Keep the steering wheel steady and avoid unnecessary steering movements. If possible, it is best to leave your car at home if there is a risk of black ice and use alternative means of transport instead.

If an accident has occurred, inform your insurance company first. With their consent, an independent accident assessor can be commissioned. The accident report from TÜV NORD is highly regarded, legally recognised and protects you against unjustified claims.

According to the Highway Code, the driver alone is responsible for ensuring their vehicle is roadworthy. In the event of an accident caused by poor visibility – for example, due to icy windows or falling snow – comprehensive insurance may therefore reduce the payout depending on the extent of the driver’s own fault.

You should therefore always ensure you have a clear view and carefully remove snow and ice – not least for your own safety. Otherwise, the police may impose a fine. You could even end up with a penalty point in Flensburg.

Many vehicle owners opt for all-season tyres because they are less hassle and are perceived to be cheaper than seasonal tyres.

Legally, all-season tyres bearing the M+S marking and the Alpine symbol (mountain pictogram with a snowflake) are classified as winter tyres. Provided the minimum tread depth of 1.6 millimetres is maintained, you therefore enjoy unrestricted insurance cover.

Our impartial damage assessments provide you with the basis for settling claims accurately and correctly. We also guarantee fast and flexible order processing.

In winter, there is a rise in the number of road traffic accidents, particularly on black ice. Even those who are not the cause of the accident but are the victims are usually involved in the claims settlement process.

Reasoning of the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court:
When driving on black ice, every motorist must be prepared for the fact that even the slightest driving error by other road users can have serious consequences. According to the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, everyone should therefore adapt their driving style accordingly and, if necessary, drive at walking pace. For this reason, the injured party is often also found to be partly at fault.

When a storm hits, every car owner worries about their car, unless they have been able to park it safely. And with good reason: vehicles are often damaged by falling branches, loose roof tiles or even collapsing scaffolding. Partial comprehensive insurance covers storm damage.

However, according to the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, a storm is only deemed to have occurred if it involves weather-related wind speeds of at least force 8 on the Beaufort scale. In the event of storm damage, it is therefore advisable to include information from the Met Office in your claim to prove that it was officially classified as a storm.

Paintwork damage is always a nuisance – particularly when it’s caused by external factors such as bird droppings, emissions, material defects or poor paintwork. If you wish to get to the bottom of the cause of your paintwork damage, we can provide you with paintwork technical reports. These will explain how the damage may have occurred, highlight any workmanship faults and assess the quality of the materials used. In addition, we can provide a breakdown of the repair costs.

Property owners are responsible for trees situated on private land. However, they can only be held liable if they have failed to check the condition of their trees regularly. The same applies to falling roof tiles. A claim therefore only arises if the ‘party responsible’ can be accused of breaching their duty of care. If, on the other hand, a branch breaks off a healthy tree or the tree falls over during a severe storm, this is regarded as force majeure.

The same applies to construction site equipment: if, for example, a vehicle is damaged by a falling construction site sign, the person who erected it is only liable if they failed to secure it properly.

This can only happen in two circumstances:

• The insurance company completely denies liability for the accident, or
• alleges that you have breached your duty to minimise loss (e.g. by concealing a pre-existing condition).

 In these cases, as the client, you must bear the costs of the loss assessor yourself.

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.

So that you get what you’re entitled to after an accident. Carefully selected components and high-quality materials are driving up the prices of e-bikes and pedelecs. But what if something happens to your prized electric bike?

Our experienced e-bike assessors will help ensure you can get back in the saddle quickly, without being left to foot the bill for the accident.

• As an insurance-independent loss assessor, we safeguard your claims one hundred per cent
• Our experienced specialists know the market, the models and the prices, and understand what really matters
• TÜV NORD’s detailed and fully transparent damage assessment reports stand up to any challenge from an insurer
• Insurance companies recognise TÜV NORD’s high standards and settle claims much more quickly