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Who pays if a shopping trolley damages my car in Germany?

In short

Who pays depends on who caused it. If a shopper pushed or let go of the shopping trolley and it damages my car, or yours, he is liable, usually through his personal liability insurance. If the store left its trolleys unsecured, the operator can be liable. If nobody can be found, only your fully comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) pays, minus the deductible. Partial cover (Teilkasko) pays nothing here.

Who pays if a shopping trolley damages my car in Germany?

What it costs

What repairing typical trolley damage costs, based on published figures.

ExampleTypical range
Paint damage about 25 millimetres, smart repairabout EUR 50 to 100
Dent about 25 millimetres, paint intact, smart repairabout EUR 50 to 120
Crack in a plastic bumper, smart repairfrom about EUR 50
Paint damage to a van, Munich court caseabout EUR 1,520 to 1,640

Smart repair prices from an automobile club overview, as of November 2026;

damage amount from a published judgment.

Conventional repair costs, deductible and extra premium after a downgrade in the example are guide

values from our quoting practice.

Worked example

Dent in the driver's door, culprit unknown, Vollkasko with EUR 300 deductible

After shopping you find a dent with chipped paint in the door. Nobody left a note. This is how you work out whether a claim is worth it.

Dent with damaged paint, filled and resprayedabout EUR 600 to 900
Vollkasko deductibleEUR 300
Vollkasko payoutabout EUR 300 to 600
Extra premium after downgrade over three yearsabout EUR 300 to 700

Here the claim brings little or even costs money. If the paint is intact, smart repair for about EUR 50 to 120 is the cheaper solution.

Four cases, four payers

A shopping trolley is not a vehicle. Whoever pushes it or leaves it standing unattended is liable under general German law for the damage it does. For private persons that is a case for personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht), if they have one.

Loading the car is the tricky moment. Some insurers treat it as part of using the car and put it on the motor liability policy. The Munich local court (Amtsgericht München) decided otherwise: a trolley rolling away during loading was not a typical risk of the car, so the motor liability insurer did not have to pay, but the shopper did (case 343 C 28512/12). He had to pay about EUR 1,520.

For you as the injured party this distinction matters little. What matters is that you have the name and address of the person responsible. Which of his insurers pays is his problem.

SituationWho paysYour share
Shopper pushes the trolley into your carthe shopper, usually his personal liabilitynothing
Trolley rolls away while someone loads his carthe shopper, personal or motor liabilitynothing
Store did not secure the trolleysthe operator, often a sharepartial liability possible
Culprit unknown, with Vollkaskoyour Vollkaskodeductible and downgrade
Culprit unknown, only Teilkasko or liabilitynobodythe whole repair

When the store is liable

Anyone who provides shopping trolleys must park them so they cannot roll away or be taken easily. In 2015 the Higher Regional Court of Hamm (OLG Hamm) held a shop owner 80 percent liable because his trolleys were joined only by an unlocked chain after closing time and one rolled onto the road at night (case 9 U 169/14). The driver bore the rest because of the general operating risk of his car.

That does not mean the store pays for every scratch. If a customer left the trolley standing, he is liable first. You only get to the store if you can show that it did not secure its trolleys properly.

When nobody can be found

A dent in the car park with no note and no witness is the most common case. There is no third party to claim from. Your Vollkasko pays, because it also covers damage to your own car that partial cover does not.

Claiming often does not pay off. A small paint chip or dent can be fixed by smart repair for a few dozen to low hundreds of euros. If the repair is below or close to your deductible, the downgrade of your no claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse) costs more over the next years than the insurer pays out.

If your trolley does the damage

If your trolley rolls into someone else's car, wait at the scene or call the police. According to the German automobile club, a note under the wiper is not enough; leaving can lead to proceedings for leaving the scene of an accident.

Report the damage to your personal liability insurer and, if it happened while loading, to your motor liability insurer as a precaution. If you have no personal liability insurance and the motor insurer declines, you pay yourself. In Germany that policy is separate from contents insurance and costs little, so it is worth having.

Step by step

  1. Photograph the damage, with the trolley and surroundings if it is still there.
  2. Ask for witnesses and ask the store whether a camera covers the car park.
  3. If the culprit is known, note name, address and his liability insurer.
  4. If the store's trolleys looked unsecured, photograph them and claim against the operator in writing.
  5. If the culprit is unknown, get a quote and weigh it against deductible and downgrade before claiming on Vollkasko.

Checklist

  • Photos of the damage and the trolley
  • Contact details of culprit and witnesses
  • Repair quote, for small damage also for smart repair
  • Amount of your Vollkasko deductible
  • Deadline for reporting claims in your terms

Common mistakes

  • Claiming on Teilkasko, which does not pay for this
  • Claiming a small dent on Vollkasko without working out the downgrade
  • As the culprit, leaving a note and driving off
  • Suing the store without evidence of poor securing

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does the supermarket pay if a trolley damages my car?

Only if it did not secure its trolleys properly.

If a customer left the trolley standing, that customer is liable first.

Does Teilkasko pay for trolley damage?

No.

Teilkasko covers events such as glass, theft, hail, storm, fire and collisions with game.

Trolley damage is only paid by Vollkasko.

Will I be downgraded if the culprit's liability insurer pays?

No.

Your own policy is not touched.

You are only downgraded if you claim on your Vollkasko.

My trolley hit a car. What now?

Stay at the scene or call the police,

exchange details and report it to your personal liability insurer.

If it happened while loading, also inform your motor liability insurer.

Does smart repair work on every dent?

No.

The paint must be intact and the back of the panel reachable.

Dents on edges or creases and larger paint damage usually need a conventional repair.

Sources

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