Many cars are immobilized due to the corona crisis or are only used for shopping trips or doctor’s visits. As a result, there are significantly fewer accidents, as Germany’s largest auto insurer, huk-coburg, confirms. Corporate customers can now send their vehicles on a non-contributory corona break with many motor insurers without red tape. Private customers do not receive this immediate assistance. You can, however, stretch payments or reduce coverage.
Motor insurers are winners of the corona crisis to a certain extent. Jorg rheinlander, the huk-coburg Management Board member responsible for auto insurance, estimates that the volume of traffic in germany last month fell by around 30 percent. Therefore, of course, there would be significantly fewer claims. Many policies have already been paid for at the beginning of the year. the huk-coburg excludes a current corona discount. You first have to see how the whole year goes, says the insurer.
Immobilization without deregistration
In contrast, almost all company car insurers offer their customers the option of temporarily immobilizing unneeded vehicles free of charge. An official deregistration at the registration office is not necessary. An informal application by e-mail is sufficient, according to the insurers. „The decommissioning takes place from the day of the notification. The notification should be accompanied by a list showing the registration number and the vehicle identification number", explains HDI spokesman andreas ahrenbeck. Then the customers with commercial vehicles receive premium-free rest insurance. Such a "voluntary" The insurance companies axa, ergo, HDI and Wurttembergische, for example, offer retirement insurance until 31 December of the year in which the accident occurs. May on. Other insurance companies, such as gothaer, kravag, R+V and the bavarian chamber of insurance, have set the deadline for the time being at 30. april fixed. However, an extension is possible. allianz offers its customers "individual solutions" in the event of payment difficulties due to the corona crisis to.
Emergency aid does not apply to private car owners
Private car drivers, on the other hand, do not get an unbureaucratic entry into the rest insurance scheme. „There is also currently no need", says huk-coburg board member rheinlander. Private car owners must therefore officially deregister their vehicles at the registration office, as before, if they want to benefit from a rest policy.
But many authorities have ceased operations or are only working in a limited way. Private customers who officially deregister their cars must also pay a fee. „Private customers could, however, reduce the information on annual mileage", advises rheinlander. Other insurance companies point out that protection can also be limited in order to save money. This is how comprehensive insurance could be abandoned.
In this case, however, the vehicle should be stored in a locked garage as far as possible. Because if you also suspend partial comprehensive insurance, you no longer have protection against theft, hail or fire damage, for example.
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Damage caused by malicious acts of third parties insured
Both officially and voluntarily immobilized vehicles are covered by a resting insurance policy for the duration of the immobilization period. It includes liability insurance, environmental damage insurance, partial comprehensive insurance and partial protection from comprehensive insurance if these policies existed at the time the vehicle was taken out of service. This is how fully comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by the malicious acts of third parties. Full protection applies for partial casco insurance. Damage caused by fire, theft, hail, storms and floods is covered.
Breach expensive against rest policy
During the period of rest insurance, the vehicles must be parked in a storage room, such as a collective garage, or in a fenced parking area, such as an enclosed courtyard room. „If you use your vehicle anyway and cause an accident, you are in breach of your obligations under your insurance policy, even with the voluntary corona rest policy", warns marc herzo, specialist lawyer for insurance law from rosenheim. Victims would be compensated in full because the vehicle’s liability insurance would continue to apply even during the rest period. „However, the assekuranz is allowed to pay up to 5.claiming 000 euros in recourse from the policyholder", explains herzog.
In addition, the vehicle would not be replaced at all, because fully comprehensive insurance is no longer valid for self-inflicted damage to the vehicle. Herzog: "a trip like this can be really expensive". Full coverage is automatically reinstated when the deadline set by the insurer for the corona rest policy expires. If you officially decommission your car at the registration office, you must register it again within 18 months, otherwise your insurance will lapse completely.