Minor damage to the car - tips, tricks and information!

Reading time 9 Min.

Minor damage to the vehicle is undoubtedly annoying and damages the appearance of the vehicle. However, they are usually not great value-diminishing damages. These are mostly scratches in the paintwork, which are relatively small and often only superficial. Dents in the sheet metal are also minor damage. They can quickly arise when maneuvering the car. The repair of these superficial optical flaws is usually at a maximum price 750 €. Valuable information on the subject of minor damage to motor vehicles, as well as useful tips, can be found below.

What do I have to do if I have caused minor damage to someone else's vehicle?

Did you have a mishap while maneuvering your car and someone else's vehicle now has dents in the sheet metal or minimal scratches? You're probably wondering if you now have the Police need to notify, as is customary in traffic accidents. The answer to minor damage is short and concise: Nein! The police do not necessarily have to be called. However, the injured party, i.e. the owner of the damaged car, is be sure to inform you. Never leave the scene of an accident without informing the owner of the damaged vehicle of the accident. That can quickly become a crime, namely as Hit and run, to be laid out.

A small consolation is that your motor vehicle liability insurance will cover the cost of repairing the damaged vehicle if you are responsible for the minor damage. Fortunately, minor damage to the vehicle usually goes hand in hand with no personal injury. However, if a person is injured in the bump, then they must Police to be summoned.

How do you recognize minor damage to the vehicle?

Small damage to the bodywork, which only affects the surface of the body, is characteristic of minor damage to the car. A motor vehicle minor damage is visible to the naked eye small scratch on the body, slight dent on the sheet metal of the vehicle or as small scratch in the paint recognizable.

How does minor damage to the car occur?

A minor damage usually occurs faster than expected if another car is unintentionally touched during certain actions in traffic. The mishap often happens when parking or when driving off at traffic lights. In some cases, another vehicle is not necessarily touched to trigger such damage, but bollards, fences, walls, traffic signs or trees are accidentally rammed or grazed.

What does the legislator say about a possible cost limit for minor damage?

In principle, there is no defined cost limit for minor damage. In 2004, however, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that the repair costs incurred should not exceed €700. Other courts defined the maximum cost limit at around €750. These judgments are therefore also relevant and decisive for insurance companies. However, inflation has risen rapidly in recent years, so we believe that up to an amount of around €1.000 one can still speak of minor damage.

Minor damage or major damage to the car? – Is a vehicle report helpful?

Many of those affected have difficulties in assessing whether the damage to the vehicle is minor or more extensive - especially as a layman. In cases of uncertainty, it is advisable and useful to consult an expert motor vehicle appraiser. However fall for one Expert opinion also costs that in some cases can even exceed the actual repair costs of the minor damage. You should budget at least €400 for a meaningful vehicle report. Please note that car insurance companies only cover the costs of an appraiser if the damage exceeds €700. Tip: Ask your garage for a cost estimate for the repair and send it to the insurer who caused the damage. Often that is enough.

Self-inflicted damage to your own vehicle - what can I do?

If there is damage to your own car that you are responsible for, it makes sense to ask your car insurance company for help and to have the repair costs covered by the insurance company Comprehensive insurance, to ask. However, you should know that there is usually a deductible and often a downgrading within the so-called no-claims class. It may therefore be better to have a so-called Smart Repair touch-up of the damage, as this is more cost-effective and has no insurance implications.

However, the procedure varies depending on the insurance company. There are also insurance policies that allow one damage per year, for example. keyword Discount protection: Das ist ein Additional protection in car insurance, with which you can maintain the no-claims class (SF class) after an accident. The discount protection protects you from a downgrade in the event of a claim and thus protects you from an increase in the insurance premium for several years.

Is a Brief report helpful to better assess the extent of the damage?

A short report can be helpful in determining the correct amount of damage. In contrast to the extensive vehicle appraisal with higher costs, you have to go for a Brief report (there is also especially for classic cars) calculate significantly less money. The price for a short report can vary, but is usually between €50 and €200. However, you must also bear the costs for the short report. Insofar as the appraiser determines in the course of his work in the brief appraisal that extensive damage has occurred that clearly exceeds minor damage, he can, after consultation with you, create a more extensive vehicle appraisal. There is a good chance that the insurance company will bear these appraisal costs.

Common situations in which minor damage occurs and how to deal with it:

You were rammed by the car behind you when driving off at the traffic light:

• In this case you should immediately stop your vehicle and the driver behind you. The A is significantsecure the scene of the accident and the exact examination of the damage. If you are sure that minor damage has occurred, leave the road and drive to the side. You should definitely document the damage in detail. We recommend taking photographs of the dents or scratches and the situation on site (both vehicles, etc.). An accident report should also be prepared.
• Relevant contact details should now be exchanged with the other party involved in the accident. This includes addresses, car insurance data and telephone numbers. It should be reliably agreed that the person who caused the accident reports the minor damage to their car insurance company on the same day.
• If there is a dispute about who is to blame for the damage, you should call the police. The police examine the course of the accident, the accident report and question any witnesses. In an emergency, a court decision will be made. The claims for damages must then be checked by the other party's insurance company before a decision is made.
• If you still have a feeling of unfairness, it may make sense to hire a lawyer who tries to reach an agreement out of court or who disputes the legal action in court.

You hit another car while parking:

• Try to find the owner of the damaged car after leaving your own car. Possibly the driver can be found by calling him out. This is an opportunity for parking lots in front of supermarkets. At the information desk of the shop, the affected vehicle owner can be paged using his license plate number.
• If this option was unsuccessful, you must at least half an hour wait for the driver involved at the scene of the accident.
• Exact documentation of the course of the accident, including the time and the damage to both cars, is also important here.
• If you still haven't found the driver after half an hour, you must report the accident to the police. You are legally obliged to do this.
• It is unsatisfactoryto leave a note on the car of the person concerned. The police are then obliged to record the personal data and to inform the vehicle owner concerned.
• Since you are responsible for the damage, you should report it to your car insurance company immediately.

In which cases is it advisable to call the police for minor damage?

If you cannot locate the other driver, the police should be called. The same also applies if you have the urgent suspicion that the other party involved in the accident is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You should not hesitate to call the police if you disagree or dispute who is to blame for the damage or if more than just minor damage may have occurred. For rental vehicles, the rental agreement is relevant. Some contracts define that Auch the police must be called in the event of minor damage to the rented vehicle.

Avoid hit and run!

It is essential to avoid hit-and-runs. This is the case if you cause damage and leave the scene of the accident without informing the injured party. This even applies to minor damage. If you dare to do so, you risk severe penalties. In addition, hit and run can even criminal be punished. The Criminal Code is the legal basis. According to Section 142 of the Criminal Code, you risk a prison sentence of up to 3 years. So don't take any risks!

You can also face fines depending on the amount of material damage, points in Flensburg and even a driving ban of several months if you commit a hit-and-run. If it should happen that you have left the scene of the accident without exchanging contact details with the injured person, you only have one option: Report yourself to the police within a day. This then has all the relevant data and will contact the injured person. As a rule, there will be no penalty in the case of minor damage, but there is no guarantee of this.

I didn't notice the damage until later - am I guilty of hit-and-run?

If you only noticed the damage later, you did not act intentionally by leaving the scene of the accident. Therefore, you have not pleaded guilty to hit-and-run. However, in case of doubt in court disputes, you must prove that you did not notice the damage or were prevented from noticing it.

Who bears the costs of minor damage?

If your vehicle is damaged for which you are not at fault, the repair costs will be reimbursed by the liability insurance of the person who caused the damage. If damage has occurred to your car as a result of your own behavior, you can have this settled with your fully comprehensive insurance.

Is it worth paying the repair costs for minor damage out of your own pocket?

In the case of minimal and self-inflicted damage to the car, it is sometimes cheaper to pay the repair costs out of your own pocket - without involving comprehensive insurance and thus risking a less favorable no-claims class and higher overall insurance premiums. Your deductible also plays a role. The costs for minor damage can be lower than the defined deductible. Here you should weigh up whether it is worthwhile for you in your individual case.

Is the value of the vehicle reduced due to minor damage?

Here is the clear answer: No. Superficial damage to the paint or dents in the sheet metal do not reduce the value of the entire vehicle. Incidentally, if you want to sell your car, you don't even have to state such defects in the form of minor damage. Even minimal damage to the sheet metal does not mean that your car has to or will be treated as an accident vehicle.

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