What does private accident insurance cover in Germany?
In short
The core benefit is the disability payment (Invaliditätsleistung): a one-off lump sum, base sum multiplied by your degree of disability from the body-part schedule (Gliedertaxe), then increased by progression. With a base sum of EUR 100,000 and 50 percent disability that is EUR 50,000, or EUR 112,500 with 225 percent progression. Everything else is an add-on, and only some add-ons are worth the money.
Guide figures from published tariff examples and payout sizes, base sum EUR 100,000, 2026.
Example
Typical range
Office job, EUR 100,000 base sum, 350 percent progression
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Manual trade, same sum and progression
about EUR 120 to 260 a year
Simple tariff, 225 percent progression, no accident pension
about EUR 44 to 215 a year
Payout at 50 percent disability, EUR 100,000 base sum, 225 percent progression
EUR 112,500 as a single payment
Payout at 20 percent disability, EUR 100,000 base sum, no progression
EUR 20,000 as a single payment
Accident pension of EUR 1,000 a month as an add-on
guide value EUR 150 to 400 extra premium a year
Rescue costs and cosmetic surgery
at least EUR 10,000 cover each, usually under EUR 20 a year extra
Guide values as of September 2026.
Premium ranges come from publicly quoted tariff examples,
the schedule percentages and the 225 percent progression figure from the sources named.
The extra premium for an accident pension,
rescue costs and cosmetic surgery is a guide value from quoting practice.
Your premium depends on age, job and health; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Fall from a ladder, the left leg stays permanently impaired
A leisure accident while trimming a hedge. The knee stays stiff and a doctor confirms permanent damage. This is how that becomes a number.
Base sum in the policy
EUR 100,000
Schedule value for one leg
70 percent
Impairment confirmed by the doctor
five sevenths of that, so 50 percent degree of disability
Payment without progression
EUR 50,000
Payment with 225 percent progression
EUR 112,500
Rescue costs and cosmetic surgery
paid on top against invoices, up to the agreed sum
Progression doubles the payout here without doubling the premium. Had the policy been written with a base sum of EUR 50,000, the same accident would bring only EUR 56,250.
The core: the disability lump sum
The name accident insurance says nothing about what is actually paid. Treatment, physiotherapy and medication are covered by your health insurance. Private accident insurance (Unfallversicherung) pays because something is left permanently after an accident. The sum is always calculated the same way: base sum (Grundsumme) multiplied by the degree of disability, and that degree comes from the Gliedertaxe, a table that assigns a percentage to each part of the body.
The plain version of that table values an arm at 70 percent, a hand at 55, a thumb at 20, an index finger at 10, a leg at 70, a foot at 40, an eye at 50 and hearing in one ear at 30 percent. Better tariffs raise these figures substantially, up to 100 percent for an arm or a leg. Progression adds more on top: from around 25 percent disability the payment rises disproportionately, so with 225 or 350 percent progression it goes far beyond the base sum.
Every add-on, and what it pays
Every policy is a bundle. You only see what is really inside once you look at the parts one by one. The table shows what each one pays and who it is worth it for.
Rule of thumb: anything that pays one large amount after a severe accident is money well spent. Anything that pays small amounts for small events is an expensive savings plan with an insurance mark-up.
Add-on
What it pays
Worth it for whom
Disability lump sum (Invaliditätsleistung)
one-off amount, base sum times degree of disability
everyone, this is the heart of the policy
Progression
raises the payment disproportionately above roughly 25 percent disability
everyone, it costs little and works exactly when things are bad
Accident pension (Unfallrente)
monthly, often for life, usually only from 50 percent disability
anyone who cannot get income protection insurance
Accidental death sum (Todesfallsumme)
one-off amount if the accident causes death
rarely useful, term life insurance also pays after illness
Hospital daily benefit (Krankenhaustagegeld)
a daily rate for each day in hospital
mostly unnecessary, sick pay insurance is the better choice
Convalescence benefit (Genesungsgeld)
a daily rate for a period after discharge
almost never, it raises the premium with little real use
Transition benefit (Übergangsleistung)
one-off amount if you are still badly impaired after about six months
self-employed people who need money early, otherwise skip it
Rescue costs (Bergungskosten)
search, rescue and transport up to the agreed sum
everyone, at least EUR 10,000, more in mountains or on the water
Cosmetic surgery (kosmetische Operationen)
scar treatment and dental work after an accident
worth having, at least EUR 10,000, especially for children
Rehabilitation and spa allowance
a contribution towards rehab or a cure after a severe accident
a pleasant extra, never a reason to pick a tariff
Assistance services
help with shopping, housework and arranging care after an accident
retired and single people, often worth more than any daily benefit
Which add-ons mostly just raise the premium
Hospital and convalescence daily benefits sound good and rarely pay much. At EUR 20 a day, two weeks in hospital brings about EUR 280, and you pay a premium for that every year. Lost income is better covered by sick pay insurance (Krankentagegeld), because that also pays when you are ill, and illness is the more common cause.
A large accidental death sum is the second classic mistake. It only applies if the accident itself causes death, which is the rarest case. If you want to protect your family, take term life insurance (Risikolebensversicherung). For children the death sum is particularly odd: it changes nothing about the family's situation and costs money that would do more inside the base sum. Rescue costs and cosmetic surgery, by contrast, belong in every policy because they settle real invoices.
Three deadlines that make claims fail
The most common refusal has nothing to do with the accident and everything to do with the calendar. Three deadlines run from the day of the accident, and if you miss one of them there is no disability payment, however severe the injury.
The exact periods are in your policy wording and differ between insurers. Older contracts require the disability to have set in within twelve months, newer ones allow 15 months, good tariffs 18 or 24. So report the accident immediately and have any permanent damage confirmed in writing, even if the degree is not settled yet. German wording applies in a claim, so ask us when a clause is unclear.
Deadline
Usual period from the accident
What to watch
The disability must have set in
12 to 15 months, good tariffs 18 to 24 months
the longer the better, late-diagnosed damage otherwise drops out
A doctor must confirm it in writing
15 months, good tariffs 24 to 36 months
a diagnosis alone is not enough, the permanent damage must be named
It must be claimed with the insurer
15 months, good tariffs 18 to 24 months
in writing, even if the degree of disability is still open
Where the limits are
Cover applies only if an accident was the cause: a sudden event from outside, involuntary. A slipped disc while lifting, a heart attack or a stroke normally do not count. If you want to insure the larger part of the risk, you need income protection insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung), because most permanent impairments come from illness rather than accidents.
The second limit is contributory causation (Mitwirkung). If an existing illness or condition helped produce the outcome, many policies reduce the payment by that share. Good wordings only count it from a high share, often from 50 percent. For older policyholders that single clause matters more than the size of the base sum.
Step by step
Set the base sum: five to six times your gross annual income, at least EUR 100,000.
Include progression of 225 to 350 percent, it costs little and works in the bad case.
Put the body-part schedules of your quotes side by side, they decide the payout.
Set rescue costs and cosmetic surgery to at least EUR 10,000 each.
Drop daily benefits and large death sums and put the money into the base sum.
Checklist
Base sum in line with your income, at least EUR 100,000
Progression of 225 to 350 percent included
Improved body-part schedule instead of the plain table
Rescue costs at least EUR 10,000, cosmetic surgery the same
Long deadlines for onset, medical confirmation and notification
Contributory illness only counted from a high share
Accident pension only if income protection insurance is not available to you
Common mistakes
Choosing a small base sum and adding hospital and convalescence daily benefits instead
Having permanent damage confirmed more than a year later and missing the deadline
Buying a large accidental death sum instead of term life insurance
Comparing only premiums and never reading the body-part schedule
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does accident insurance pay my medical bills?
No.
Doctors, hospital and physiotherapy are covered by your health insurance.
Accident insurance pays for permanent damage and, depending on the policy, rescue,
dental work or help at home.
From what degree of disability does it pay?
Usually from one percent, though some tariffs set a floor of 20 or 25 percent.
Progression normally only starts to work above 25 percent disability.
What is the transition benefit?
A one-off payment if you are still badly impaired some months after the accident,
even before disability is finally established.
Useful for the self-employed, mostly skippable for employees.
How long do I have to report the disability?
Usually 15 months from the accident for the medical confirmation and for the claim,
while older contracts require the disability to have set in within twelve months.
Your policy wording has the exact periods.
Does the cover apply abroad?
Good tariffs apply worldwide and around the clock.
Check the sum for rescue costs in particular:
in the mountains or at sea several thousand euros are reached quickly.
Is hospital daily benefit worth it?
Rarely.
At EUR 20 a day, two weeks in hospital brings about EUR 280.
Lost income is better covered by sick pay insurance, because that also pays when you are ill.
Can I get the policy documents in English?
Some insurers offer English documents or service, many do not,
