Under German law a claim against a fully comprehensive car insurance (Autoversicherung) policy must be submitted within 6 months of the accident having taken place.

Moreover the 6 months limit applies in the event of the policy holder wishing to contest the decision in court should the insurance provider refuse to reimburse. Typically grounds for rejecting claims tend to be connected with a failure on the part of the driver to comply with a fairly comprehensive list of obligations set down in German law. The German idea of what constitutes Fahrlässigkeit (driver negligence) does not depart wildly from anybody's reasonable expectations. Even so it is worthwhile for anybody driving, or planning to drive, on German roads to consider the following criteria:

Alcohol: Driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of 0.01% constitutes negligence, regardless of whether driving under the influence caused the accident or not. Even if the blood alcohol level is lower than this the driver will be deemed to be negligent if there are no other apparent causal factors.

Braking: Over abrupt application of the brakes on a wet road surface without plausible explanation will also render your fully comp. policy inapplicable in the event of an accident.

Driving without due care and attention: Picking things up while driving or turning round during a conversation with a passenger are, as might be expected, not encouraged by the Autoversicherung providers. Smokers beware: even bending down to retrieve a lit cigarette is still legally negligent in the event of a collision. In contrast a driver who is distracted by a wasp into causing an accident probably would be looked on more sympathetically.

Speed: Here the German tolerance for boy racers is evident. Your Vollkasko will not apply in the event of an accident that takes place outside of an urban area if the driver goes at twice the speed limit! In towns you can still crash your car and enjoy fully comprehensive cover while overstepping das Tempolimit by a more modest 50%.

Mobile: Making in-car calls without a hands free set has been illegal in Germany since 01.02.2001. Even prior to the legislation, anyone making a call who was then caught up in an accident would be not just fahrlässig but very probably grob fahrlässig (extremely negligent).

Stop signs: No question, failure to stop here is legally negligent. Overtaking: If a driver attempts to overtake on an unsuitable stretch of road, i.e. one with impaired visibility, his Vollkasko will not cover the costs.

Drivers wanting to find out more would be well advised to discuss their policy with their Autoversicherung provider.

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