Frequently asked questions: What should you do in case of an accident abroad?
Take photographs of the scene of the accident (final position of vehicles after the accident). For frequent travellers, professional drivers or for buses, we recommend taking a disposable camera with you. Complete a European accident report (state complete verified details of the opposite party).
Do not sign an accident report in a language foreign to you. Only give your version of the accident circumstances in your mother tongue. Call the police, if necessary, and make a note of the authority involved.
In some countries (SLO, HR, BIH, SRB, RO) the authority will issue a confirmation. This confirmation allows you to cross the border with an accident-damaged vehicle, and also serves as proof that the accident actually happened.
The version of the accident circumstances should also only be given in your mother tongue. Please note that a so-called "Blaulichtsteuer" (authority intervention fee) is only levied in Austria. A payment abroad is therefore usually simply a fine.
Never sign documents if you do not understand the text. If you are forced to, always provide the addendum "With reservation" or "Text in foreign language". Take down details of witnesses.
Arrange for an expert's report (through your own legal protection insurance) or estimate of costs with photographs of the damage. VAT is not usually indemnified without a regular invoice.
If your vehicle is a total loss, the costs for transfer to your home country are seldom indemnified. However, if the vehicle remains at the accident location you will hardly obtain a residual value, and so transport from the border vicinity is more cost-effective. If the vehicle is scrapped in the country where the accident took place, relevant proof must be obtained.
All documents should be forwarded to us in original, as most Austrian insurance companies scan the documents and then destroy the originals. However, in certain countries compensation for damages can only be obtained with original documents.
If you are injured in an accident, we recommend you to visit a local hospital to prove the causality to the accident. Subsequent treatment can then also be carried out in your home country.