Is a deductible worth it for personal liability insurance?
In short
It is worth it only sometimes. In German personal liability insurance, a deductible (Selbstbeteiligung) of EUR 250 to 300 saves about EUR 38 to 50 a year in published examples. That pays off if you claim for a small loss no more than once every five to eight years. As very good family tariffs without a deductible start at around EUR 48 a year, going without is often the better choice.
Premiums with and without a deductible from published test results.
Example
Typical range
Family tariff, EUR 100 million cover, no deductible
about EUR 120 a year
Same tariff with a EUR 300 deductible
about EUR 82 a year
Comprehensive tariff with add-on, without and with a EUR 250 deductible
about EUR 144 instead of EUR 94 a year
Very good family tariffs without a deductible
from about EUR 48 a year
Guide values as of October 2026 from published test results.
The saving for a EUR 150 deductible is a guide value from our quoting practice;
we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Family with two children, ten years
Example with a EUR 300 deductible saving EUR 38 a year, and three small claims in ten years.
Saving over ten years
EUR 380
Child knocks glasses off a table, damage EUR 250
EUR 250 paid yourself
Borrowed laptop falls, damage EUR 600
EUR 300 paid yourself
Scratch on a neighbour's car while cycling, damage EUR 400
EUR 300 paid yourself
EUR 850 in deductibles against EUR 380 saved: with the deductible the family ends up EUR 470 worse off.
How a deductible works
A deductible is the amount you pay yourself on every claim. If the damage is smaller, you pay all of it. If it is larger, the insurer deducts your share and pays the rest.
Large claims stay fully covered, and the insurer still defends you against unjustified demands. A deductible only shifts small amounts to you, not the big risk.
The maths behind it
Whether it is worth it is a simple division: deductible divided by the yearly saving gives the number of claim-free years you need for it to break even.
With a EUR 300 deductible and EUR 38 saved that is almost eight years. With EUR 250 and EUR 50 saved it is five years. Households with children or people who often borrow things usually claim more often.
Deductible
Saving per year
Claim-free years to break even
EUR 300
EUR 38
almost 8
EUR 250
EUR 50
5
EUR 150
often only EUR 10 to 20
about 8 to 15
When it fits and when it does not
It makes sense if you would settle small mishaps yourself anyway, such as a broken vase at a neighbour's, and the premium drops noticeably.
It is a poor fit for families with small children, for people who often use other people's things and wherever the saving is only a few euros. Many personal liability claims are exactly in the range of a few hundred euros: a phone, glasses, a laptop or damage to a rented flat. You would pay those yourself.
What consumer testers recommend
Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing foundation, does not recommend tariffs with a deductible because the saving is usually small. That is not a ban, but a good benchmark: first find a very good tariff without a deductible, then compare what the version with a deductible really saves.
Step by step
Find a very good tariff without a deductible as your benchmark.
Get a quote for the same tariff with a deductible.
Divide the deductible by the yearly saving.
Count honestly how many claims you had in recent years.
Only choose the deductible if the numbers clearly favour it.
Checklist
Yearly saving is at least a fifth of the deductible
Deductible applies per claim, not per year: terms checked
Small children or borrowed items in the household considered
Both versions offer the same cover
Savings set aside to pay the deductible
Common mistakes
Looking only at the lower premium and forgetting how often you claim
Choosing a deductible that saves only a few euros
Overlooking that the deductible is also taken off large claims
Ignoring that children cause small claims quite often
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
What deductible is common in German personal liability insurance?
Usually EUR 150, 250 or 300 per claim.
Some tariffs offer higher levels, but they hardly lower the premium further.
Does the deductible apply per claim or per year?
In most tariffs per claim.
If you claim twice in a year, you pay it twice.
Your terms say exactly.
Does the insurer pay nothing on claims below the deductible?
It then pays nothing to the injured party.
In many tariffs it still rejects unjustified demands for you, even for small amounts.
Can I change the deductible later?
Often yes, from the next policy year or when you switch tariff.
Ask beforehand how the premium changes.
Is a deductible worth it for singles?
More often than for families, because singles claim less.
What matters is whether the saving is noticeable.
Is a tariff with a deductible worse?
Not necessarily.
The cover can be identical, you just pay small claims yourself.
