Info

Useful bits of information

An automobile expert is a guarantee that in the event of a possible subsequent dispute about the course of an automobile accident, you can provide evidence and expert opinion.
A damage report is not a simple calculation of damages, but contains information about the vehicle, its damages, the repair route and all values related to the damages.
An independent vehicle damage appraisal determines not only the cost to repair the vehicle, but also commercial depreciation, appreciation, deductibles, replacement value, and residual value.
Very sophisticated body technology, car electronics and modern materials such as carbon and ultra high-strength steel mean that the extent of damage from an accident often cannot be detected immediately. A car expert will initiate the necessary investigative measures such as reading fault memory, measuring the wheel or bodywork and more. For road safety reasons alone, a damage report should be drawn up after an accident.

The expert opinion is the basis for determining the amount of property damage, especially in the case of fictitious settlements. In this case, the injured party is entitled to reimbursement of necessary expenses, which can ultimately be properly determined only by expert opinion.
There is hardly a claim that does not include deductions as part of the settlement. Only if an expert report is properly prepared can it often be successfully defended.
According to case law, an injured party has an unrestricted right to consult with his or her trustee or automobile expert to rule out the possibility that the injured party will suffer the entire loss. The right to consult an automobile expert also applies if the insurer expressly waives the right to call an expert. In case of doubt, it is not the right of the party at fault for the accident that caused the damage, but the right of the injured party to have an independent car expert assess the damage.

The report from the automobile expert explicitly comments on repaired or unrepaired previous damage, the condition of the vehicle and the documented mileage.
It rarely makes sense to agree to the injured party’s specifications. Nor should the party at fault for the accident determine the amount of damages for which he or she is responsible. For this reason, the costs of the expert opinion are borne by the person who caused the accident unless there is clear minor damage, which is currently estimated at around €750.00. In the case of modern vehicles, so-called minor damage should normally be excluded.

All parties benefit from a qualified damage assessment that has been prepared by an independent automobile expert.