Contact police victim protection, seek legal advice, inform insurance companies.....and what else I need to think about!
I need to take care of rehabilitation measures early on!
In the event of serious personal injury, many motor vehicle liability insurers offer support for the victim's treatment and healing process through a rehabilitation service. The German Insurance Association (GDV) has set up the Rehab Information Network for this purpose. If you do not know which insurance company is responsible for settling claims after an accident and therefore also for rehabilitation management, you can find out from the Zentralruf der Autoversicherer (Central call of the car insurers). The contact points of the participating companies offer comprehensive rehabilitation advice. The financing of sensible rehabilitation measures by the insurer is also clarified. The aim of the initiative is to avoid the so-called "rehabilitation gap". Seriously injured people should receive optimal rehabilitation therapy right from the start after an accident. Rehabilitation measures after hospital discharge rarely follow on directly from the care received in hospital. This "rehabilitation gap" makes it difficult for accident victims to quickly return to their normal everyday life and work. With a bundle of medical, rehabilitation and social therapy measures, insurers improve the chances of seriously injured people to successfully reintegrate into everyday life and work.
Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV)
German Insurance Association
Telefon: 030-2020-5000
E-Mail: berlin [at] gdv.de (berlin[at]gdv[dot]de)
If it becomes apparent that permanent consequences will occur as a result of the accident injury, the involvement of a rehabilitation service should be agreed promptly with the liability insurance company of the person responsible for the accident. Involvement does not diminish the claims, but ensures that a care, aids and living environment concept is drawn up in addition to optimal rehabilitation. The rehabilitation service also accompanies the educational or professional development and commissions care and support assessments. Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health.
I have to take care of the reimbursement of my costs incurred!
In addition to experts' and lawyers' fees, the following costs can be reimbursed by the motor vehicle liability insurance of the person responsible for the accident:
- Death: funeral costs, maintenance claims, household costs
- Injuries: Medical expenses, loss of earnings, compensation for pain and suffering
- Vehicle damage: expert, repair costs, reduction in value, loss of use or rental car costs, accident-related expenses (via lump sums), towing costs
Duty to pay compensation for children
Affected parties in road accidents who have not yet reached the age of ten are always entitled to compensation. This also applies if the accident was unavoidable for the motorized other party involved. A child injured in a traffic accident caused by the father or mother is compensated via the motor vehicle liability insurance.
Since the law on the introduction of an entitlement to survivors' benefits came into force on 22.07.2017 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 2421), accident perpetrators or insurance companies liable to pay compensation have been entitled to claim compensation from their relatives, friends and family. Insurance companies liable for compensation must pay relatives who were in a special personal relationship with a deceased person at the time of the injury appropriate financial compensation for the emotional suffering inflicted on them as surviving dependants.
What other rights and claims do I need to think about? What can I claim?
For example: Home nursing care and home help
Federal Ministry of Health Home help
Consumer advice center Home help
For example: Sickness benefit
Bundesgesundheitsministerium Krankengeld
(Federal Ministry of Health Sickness benefit)
For entitlements to social benefits (e.g. care), the German Social Security Code (SGB) must also be observed.
And I should think about that too!
Search the social-medical service in hospitals at an early stage. As part of holistic care, this takes on the task of psychosocial counseling as well as a central function before and after discharge from hospital. If particular problems or questions arise as a result of illness and hospitalization, you or your relatives can contact the social service. The social-medical service in the hospitals supports you in
- the further care after hospitalization in case of necessary outpatient care, need for home care or need for aids
- the application for a degree of care, in case of need for care
- a subsequently necessary medical rehabilitation
- the application for financial entitlements, financial entitlements required for discharge
- the clarification of social law matters (severely disabled person's pass, setting up care)
- the arrangement of outpatient and inpatient assistance such as nursing services, palliative care/outpatient hospice services, home help/meals on wheels, medical aids (stair lifts, wheelchair systems, etc.), day care and much more.etc.), day care or short-term care places or admission to a home.
If necessary, contact a contact point for
- information on support and care
- aids and products
- system solutions for care at home
- care and residential facilities
at an early stage.
Care advice portals offer you solutions for a barrier-free home and bathroom, different stairlift systems and advice on where you can receive financial support for your conversion measures.
The following contacts and addresses may be of interest to you in the current situation
The Verkehrsunfall-Opferhilfe-Deutschland e.V. (VOD) association is a collaboration between the cooperation partners of Verkehrsunfall-Opferhilfe Deutschland e.V. and the NRW police. The VOD is the German umbrella organization for traffic accident victim assistance institutions. Its members include the Deutsche Interessengemeinschaft für Verkehrsunfallopfer e.V. (DIVO), subvenio e.V., Hilfefinder.de (Helpfinder), the Institut für psychologische Unfallnachsorge (ipu) (Institute for psychological accident aftercare) and many more. It is based at the German Police University (DHPol). The VOD can provide you with contact points for individual advice or processing of your case from its VOD member organizations.
Verkehrsunfall-Opferhilfe-Deutschland e. V. (VOD)
Traffic Accident Victim Assistance Germany
Telephone: 0800 806 33 38
Email: info [at] vod-ev.org (info[at]vod-ev[dot]org)
DIVO helps its members to deal with the consequences of serious road traffic accidents and advises you on your rights as a victim or as a relative of a victim following a road traffic accident. DIVO maintains a list of experts who are not considered to be insurance-oriented. The DIVO information sheet
Deutsche Interessengemeinschaft für Verkehrsunfallopfer e. V. (DIVO)
German Interest Group for Traffic Accident Victims
Phone: 02421/123212
Email: info [at] divo.de (info[at]divo[dot]de)
Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland (UPD)
Independent Patient Advisory Service Germany
The UPD informs and advises consumers and patients on health and health law issues in a quality-assured manner and free of charge. The aim is to strengthen patient orientation in the healthcare system and to identify problems in the healthcare system. The UPD supports those seeking advice by providing health and health law knowledge based on neutral and quality-assured sources.
Telephone: 0800/011 77 22 (toll-free)
Internet forum for accident victims
While you are in hospital, find out about contacts with people who have suffered the same fate. Talking to other sufferers in a "community" can provide you with helpful and practical recommendations. Hospitals often keep contact lists of people who have been injured in road traffic accidents and can help you to arrange a personal exchange.
The Internet forum for accident victims, the largest community for accident victims in the German-speaking world, offers you useful tips and helpful advice on accident problems of all kinds 365 days a year.
Unfallopfer-Hilfswerk
Accident victim relief organization
Telephone: 030-88679902
0800-8632556 (toll-free)
Email: info [at] unfallopfer-hilfswerk.de (info[at]unfallopfer-hilfswerk[dot]de)
