# Insurance for orthotics, prosthetics and orthopaedic shoemaking workshops in Germany

> If you build prostheses, orthoses, braces or orthopaedic shoes in Germany, you make devices that people put their full weight on every day. When a socket cracks or an insole causes a pressure sore in a diabetic foot, the claim is about injury, not just a refund. Add a workshop full of resin and heat, a CAD/CAM milling machine, a 3D scanner and often a medical supply shop. This page shows what orthotics, prosthetics and orthopaedic shoemaking workshops should insure and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-orthotics-and-orthopaedic-shoemaking.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Who pays if a patient falls because a prosthetic socket breaks?

Your public liability policy with product liability included, if your business is responsible for the defect. It pays treatment, lost earnings and damages for pain and suffering, and defends you against unjustified claims. Make sure manufacturing, fitting and repair are named in the policy and that parts from suppliers are included.

## At a glance

- **Licensed trade:** Orthopädietechniker (no. 35) and Orthopädieschuhmacher (no. 36) are licensed crafts in Annex A of the German Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung)
- **Statutory health insurance:** You may only supply aids to publicly insured patients under a contract under § 127 SGB V; suitability is normally proven by a prequalification certificate valid for up to five years (§ 126 SGB V)
- **Biggest risk:** A device fails or does not fit: a fall with a prosthesis, a pressure sore from an insole or orthosis
- **Basic cover from:** about €300 a year for public and product liability of a small workshop (guide price from our quoting practice)
- **Often forgotten:** Milling machine, scanner and 3D printer: operator errors and electrical damage are usually not covered by contents insurance

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Device defects:** A knee joint locks, a socket breaks, a splint sits wrong. People who rely on a device fall when it fails.
- **Pressure sores:** Diabetics and people with paralysis often do not feel pressure in time. A badly fitting insole can turn into a long lasting wound.
- **Fire in the workshop:** Casting resin, solvents, grinding dust and hot air: an orthotics workshop catches fire faster than an office.
- **Expensive machines:** A CAD/CAM mill, scanner and 3D printer easily cost six figures together. When one fails, patients wait.
- **Health data:** Measurements, scans, prescriptions and billing with the health insurers live on your computers. An attack stops supply and payments.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 4, Theft 2, Cyber 3, Downtime 3, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for injury and property damage from manufacturing, fitting and repair, including product liability for devices you deliver. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces workshop, stock, materials and shop fittings after fire, burst pipes, storm and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): Covers mill, scanner and 3D printer, including operator error, short circuits and power surges. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays running costs and lost profit when the workshop is out of action for weeks after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Helps after an attack on scans, patient data and billing, and with the reporting duties that follow. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Depends on the business): For vehicles used to see patients at home, in care homes or in hospital; motor liability is compulsory. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend mainly on turnover, staff numbers, the share of prosthetics and the value of workshop and stock. Product liability is the core; machines are often the second largest item.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small workshop, up to five staff, €5 million cover with product liability | about €300 to €800 a year |
| Business liability | Medical supply shop with workshop and prosthetics, about 20 staff | about €1,200 to €3,000 a year |
| Business contents | Workshop, stock and shop, €250,000 sum insured | about €500 to €1,200 a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Mill, scanner and 3D printer, €150,000 in total | about €600 to €1,500 a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a small workshop costs about as much a year as one pair of custom insoles with adjustments.

_Guide prices from our quoting practice, as of October 2026. There are hardly any published tariff examples for this trade; the sources below support the legal statements. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Gesetze im Internet: German Crafts Code, Annex A](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hwo/anlage_a.html)
- [Gesetze im Internet: § 126 SGB V](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__126.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (small workshop with a few staff): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about €800 to €2,000 a year
- **Workshop** (business with prosthetics, mill and scanner): Business liability, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Business interruption, Cyber insurance. Together: about €3,000 to €7,000 a year
- **Full cover** (medical supply business with branches, field service and own production): Business liability, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, Fleet insurance. Together: about €7,000 to €18,000 a year

## The worst day in an orthotics workshop

Five things that really happen in orthotics workshops, all on a single Tuesday here. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 08:10: The knee joint of a new above knee prosthesis locks on the stairs; the patient falls and breaks an arm. (€40,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:45: After an operator error the mill crashes into the clamp; spindle and controller are wrecked. (€18,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 11:30: Ransomware locks scans, measurements and cost estimates. (€15,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 14:15: A cable fire in the resin corner covers the workshop in soot. (€60,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 16:40: A diabetic patient reports a foot ulcer and blames the new insoles. (€25,000, Paid by: Business liability)

**Damage so far:** €158,000

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have manufacturing, fitting, repair and sale of aids named explicitly in the policy, including prosthetics and orthopaedic shoes.
- Check that product liability also covers supplier parts you build in.
- Insure mill, scanner and 3D printer under machinery cover that includes operator error.
- Document fittings, instructions and follow up appointments. In a dispute this shows the supply was done properly.
- Keep backups off the network so scans and measurements survive an attack.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We compare for workshops:** Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker and obtains quotes from several insurers. We focus on product liability, machines and supplier parts.
- **We know claims from practice:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. That experience goes into our advice, so your policy fits your business when it matters.
- **Advice in English:** Business and private cover with one contact person. Advice is free of charge; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Is liability insurance compulsory for orthotics workshops in Germany?

No law requires it in general. But anyone building devices people rely on carries a high liability risk; without insurance the business pays from its own assets.

### How much does liability insurance cost for an orthotics workshop?

About €300 to €800 a year for small workshops, about €1,200 to €3,000 for medical supply shops with workshop and prosthetics. These are guide prices from our quoting practice.

### Do I need prequalification to supply publicly insured patients?

Yes, for contracts with the statutory health insurers you must prove your suitability, normally with a certificate from a prequalification body. It is valid for up to five years.

### Does contents insurance pay if an operator error breaks the mill?

Usually not; it mainly covers fire, water, storm and burglary. For operator errors and internal damage you need machinery or electronics cover.

### Are orthopaedic shoes covered by product liability?

Yes, if you declare them as an activity in the policy. Name custom shoes, shoe adaptations and insoles explicitly.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-orthotics-and-orthopaedic-shoemaking.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.