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What deadlines apply after an accident for accident insurance in Germany?

In short

What deadlines apply depends on your policy, and the German model terms set the frame: after an accident you report it without undue delay, a death within 48 hours. For the disability benefit, the lasting impairment must arise within 15 months, be confirmed in writing by a doctor and be claimed from your accident insurance in the same 15 months. Miss that and in Germany the claim is almost always gone.

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What deadlines apply after an accident for accident insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Longer deadlines cost a little more. These are the starting prices of tariffs rated good and very good in a German consumer test, per year including insurance tax.

Example	Typical range
Adult, 35, office job, tariff rated good	from about EUR 100 a year
Adult, 35, office job, tariff rated very good	from EUR 188 a year
Child, 10, tariff rated good	from about EUR 50 a year
Child, 10, tariff rated very good	from EUR 127 a year

As of February 2026, one year contracts in the Stiftung Warentest comparison.

Deadlines and sections come from the VVG, the BGB, the SGB VII and the model terms AUB 2020;

your policy may give you longer.

We obtain the exact quote with the deadlines of your tariff.

Worked example

Fall from a bike on 10 March 2026

The wrist stays stiff after surgery. This is how the deadlines under the model terms fall in the calendar.

Accident reported	11 March 2026, the next day
Insurer's notice of deadlines	arrives with its first letter
End of the 15 months	10 June 2027
Disability claimed	October 2026, by a simple letter
Doctor's written confirmation	March 2027, three months before the end
Reassessment possible until	10 March 2029

Every deadline is kept, and there is time until March 2029 to have a worsening reassessed.

All deadlines at a glance

Several clocks start on the day of the accident, and they are not equally strict. Reporting duties are rules of conduct: breaking them can cut or, if deliberate, wipe out the benefit, but only if the insurer warned you of that consequence in text form beforehand and the breach actually made a difference. The 15 months for disability are different. They are a condition of the claim itself, and if one is not met there is no disability payment.

The table follows the German Insurance Contract Act (Versicherungsvertragsgesetz, VVG) and the industry association's model terms (AUB 2020, as of June 2025). Many tariffs are more generous; what counts is the wording of your own policy.

What	Deadline	Source
Report the accident and see a doctor	without undue delay	section 30 VVG, clause 7.1 AUB 2020
Report a death caused by the accident	48 hours	clause 7.5 AUB 2020
Disability has arisen and is certified in writing	15 months after the accident	clause 2.1.1.2 AUB 2020
Claim the disability from the insurer	15 months after the accident	clause 2.1.1.3 AUB 2020
Insurer states whether it pays	one month, three months for disability	section 187 (1) VVG
Payment after acceptance	two weeks	section 187 (2) VVG
Ask for reassessment	yearly, up to three years after the accident	section 188 VVG
Limitation period	three years from the end of the year the claim arose	sections 195 and 199 BGB, section 15 VVG

The 15 months for disability

Three things must happen within 15 months of the accident date: the disability must have arisen, a doctor must have confirmed it in writing, and you must have claimed it from the insurer. Claiming is simpler than it sounds. A letter saying that you expect a lasting impairment is enough; you do not need a percentage or a finished medical report.

If you miss the claim deadline, the model terms excuse this only in special cases, such as a severe head injury, and you must then catch up without delay. There is no such excuse for the medical certificate. So do not wait until treatment ends. Good tariffs extend these periods; the consumer testing foundation Stiftung Warentest treats at least 21 months for onset and 24 months for certification and claim as the better standard.

The insurer must tell you about the deadlines

Once you report an accident, the insurer must inform you in text form about the conditions of the claim and the deadlines you must keep (section 186 VVG). If it fails to do so, it cannot rely on a missed deadline. This is the most important safety net if the 15 months have already passed.

Keep the first letter you receive after reporting. If the deadlines are listed there, the protection of section 186 no longer helps, and the clock is running. Reporting early pays twice: the notice comes early, and you keep the remaining months for the medical certificate.

Deadlines for the insurer and after payment

The insurer has deadlines too. Once it has the documents it needs, it must state within one month whether and how much it pays, within three months for a disability benefit. After it accepts, payment is due within two weeks. If it is clear that it must pay but not how much, you can ask for a reasonable advance. Before treatment is complete, the first year's payment is capped at the agreed death benefit.

After the first assessment, both you and the insurer may have the degree of disability reassessed once a year, for at most three years after the accident; for children the policy may allow longer. If you want a reassessment, tell the insurer before the period ends. The insurer must inform you of this right when it gives its decision, otherwise it cannot object that you asked too late.

Limitation and accidents at work

Claims under the policy become time barred after three years, counted from the end of the year in which the claim arose and you knew the facts. While the insurer is assessing a claim you have made, the period is paused until its decision reaches you in text form.

If the accident happened at work or on the way to work, statutory accident insurance is involved as well. There the employer reports the accident if you die or are unfit for work for more than three days, within three days of learning of it (section 193 SGB VII, Social Code Book VII). That report does not reach your private insurer; the two run separately.

Step by step

Report the accident at once and see a doctor the same day, even for minor injuries.
Put the end of the 15 months in your calendar with a reminder three months before.
Tell the insurer in writing early on that you expect a lasting impairment.
Get the doctor's written confirmation of disability well before the deadline.
After the insurer's decision, note the end of the reassessment period.

Checklist

Accident date and reporting date written down
Insurer's first letter with the deadline notice kept
Disability claimed before 15 months are up
Doctor's confirmation in writing and in time
Own policy checked, deadlines are often longer than 15 months
End of reassessment three years after the accident noted

Common mistakes

Waiting for treatment to end and missing the 15 months
Assuming the report to your employer or health insurer also covers the private policy
Reporting only by phone and keeping nothing in writing
Asking for reassessment after the three years have run out

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

When do the 15 months start?

On the day of the accident, not on the day of diagnosis or when treatment ends.

Is an informal letter enough to claim disability?

Yes.

It is enough to say that you expect a lasting impairment.

Send it in a way you can prove, for example by registered post.

What if the insurer never told me about the deadlines?

Then under section 186 VVG it cannot rely on the missed deadline.

The notice must come in text form after you report the accident.

Do I have to report every small accident?

The model terms require a report for an accident that is likely to lead to a benefit.

If in doubt, report it; it costs nothing and triggers the deadline notice.

How long does the insurer have?

One month from complete documents, three months for disability.

After accepting, it pays within two weeks.

Can I get more after the first payment?

Yes, through reassessment once a year for up to three years after the accident if your condition

worsens.

Ask before the period ends.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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