What does an insurance broker do when you make a claim?
In short
What an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) does when you make a claim depends mainly on your broker agreement. Typically he helps you report it, checks the policy wording and chases the insurer, with no extra invoice, because helping with claims is part of the broker's role under § 34d of the Trade Code. The insurer alone decides on payment, and deadlines such as one week in liability insurance stay with you.
What help after a claim costs, depending on who provides it.
Example
Typical range
Broker support, if covered by the broker agreement
EUR 0 invoice, paid through the commission in your premium
Fee-based insurance adviser in a dispute
about EUR 150 to 250 net per hour
Complaint to the insurance ombudsman
EUR 0, binding on the insurer up to EUR 10,000
Your own costs at the ombudsman
only postage or a representative you choose, EUR 0 procedure fee
As of October 2026.
Hourly rates are guide values from offer practice,
based on provider examples from a broker website; there are no market statistics.
Whether and how far a broker helps after a claim depends on the individual broker agreement.
Worked example
Water damage in a rented flat
How tasks are shared when the contents policy runs through a broker and the loss is about EUR 6,000.
Day 1: you
stop the water, take photos, inform landlord and insurer or broker
Days 2 to 5: broker
can check the list of damaged items and receipts with you and pass them on
Weeks 2 to 4: insurer
examines, may send an adjuster, decides
After one month without a decision
demand an interim payment (§ 14 VVG)
The broker can shorten the process and avoid reporting errors. Whether and how much is paid is decided by the insurer.
What a broker can do when you make a claim
In German law the insurance broker acts as your trustee like representative (Sachwalter). When you make a claim he can explain which documents the insurer needs, compare the loss with the policy wording and follow up if handling takes long.
How far this goes is set out in the broker agreement (Maklervertrag). Some brokers handle the claim notice and correspondence, others exclude certain lines or refer you to the insurer's claims service. Read this before you sign.
Task in a claim
Broker
Insurer
Recording the loss and collecting documents
can support
requests them
Explaining the policy wording
yes, from your side
yes, from its side
Deciding on payment and amount
no
yes
Appointing a loss adjuster
no, can only suggest
yes, if needed
Paid legal representation
not for consumers
not its role
What a broker cannot do
An insurance broker cannot promise payment and does not settle claims. He is not the insurer and normally has no authority to fix benefits. Anyone who promises otherwise should put it in writing.
In a real legal dispute the broker is not the right contact. Under § 34d GewO he may only offer paid legal advice to businesses. Consumers then need a fee-based insurance adviser (Versicherungsberater) or a lawyer.
Deadlines that stay with you after a claim
You must report an insured event to the insurer without undue delay (§ 30 VVG). In liability insurance the deadline is one week from knowing the facts (§ 104 VVG). For theft, most policies also require an immediate police report.
If you report through the broker, make sure the notice reaches the insurer in time. The statutory authority to receive notices applies to tied agents (Versicherungsvertreter, § 69 VVG), not to brokers. A short confirmation of receipt from the insurer protects you.
If the insurer refuses or cuts your claim
If the insurer refuses the claim, the broker can check the reasons against the policy wording with you and ask for a review. Beyond good arguments he has no extra leverage.
Next comes the insurance ombudsman (Versicherungsombudsmann): free for you, binding on the insurer up to a claim value of EUR 10,000 and competent up to EUR 100,000. Beyond that, an adviser, a lawyer or the courts remain.
When you do not need a broker for a claim
For a broken window or a small car claim with a partner garage, reporting directly to the insurer is often faster. Many insurers offer online forms and a claims hotline around the clock.
A broker adds more value when the loss is large, several policies are affected or the wording is unclear, for example gross negligence, underinsurance or duties you had before the loss.
Step by step
Limit the damage and take photos.
Inform the insurer without delay, directly or through the broker.
If you report via the broker, ask the insurer for confirmation of receipt.
Send receipts, invoices and the list of damaged items in full.
If refused, ask for written reasons and have them checked.
Checklist
Broker agreement read: what applies after a claim?
Reporting deadlines for the line known
Policy number and wording at hand
Confirmation of receipt from the insurer
Ombudsman known as a free route if refused
Common mistakes
Believing the broker decides on payment
Missing deadlines because the notice sat with the broker
Throwing away damaged items before the insurer has seen them
Relying only on the broker in a dispute instead of the ombudsman or an adviser
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I have to report a claim through my broker?
No.
You may always report directly to the insurer.
Tell the broker anyway so he knows the status.
Does a broker charge extra for help with claims?
Usually not, it is covered by the commission.
What exactly is included is set out in the broker agreement.
Can the broker force the insurer to pay?
No.
He can argue and follow up; the insurer decides.
In a legal dispute consumers need an insurance adviser or a lawyer.
Will a broker help with policies he did not arrange?
Usually only if you have transferred those policies to him.
Otherwise he receives no commission and often has no mandate.
What if the broker makes a mistake with the claim notice?
He can be liable for the resulting loss if he is at fault.
Every broker must hold professional indemnity cover of at least EUR 1,564,610 per claim.
