What happens if I have an accident with an uninsured driver?

What the Law Says

German law requires every vehicle owner to carry third-party liability insurance — there are no exceptions. If a driver operates a vehicle without it, they break the law, and victims still have strong legal recourse.

Under the German Compulsory Insurance Act (PflVG), vehicle owners must maintain liability insurance covering personal injury, property damage, and other financial losses caused by using the vehicle. This is not optional: failure to insure carries fines, license suspension, and criminal penalties.

When an uninsured driver causes an accident, the victim cannot recover directly from the driver’s non-existent policy — but the law provides a safety net: the Kraftfahrt-Schadensausgleichsfonds (Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Fund), administered by the German Insurance Association (GDV). This fund compensates victims for bodily injury and death — though not for pure property damage alone.

The fund covers 100% of personal injury claims up to statutory limits (e.g., €7.5 million per accident for bodily harm), provided the claim is filed within three years of the accident.

Statutory Text

Der Halter eines Fahrzeugs im Sinne des § 1a Absatz 1 Nummer 1, das seinen regelmäßigen Standort im Sinne des § 1a Absatz 1 Nummer 2 oder seinen gewöhnlichen Standort im Sinne des § 1a Absatz 2 Satz 1 im Inland hat, ist verpflichtet, für sich, den Eigentümer und den Fahrer sowie weitere Personen nach Maßgabe des § 4 Absatz 3 Nummer 4 bis 7 eine Haftpflichtversicherung zur Deckung der durch den Gebrauch des Fahrzeugs im Sinne des § 1a Absatz 3 verursachten Personenschäden, Sachschäden oder sonstigen Vermögensschäden nach den folgenden Vorschriften abzuschließen und aufrechtzuerhalten.

— PflVG § 1 — Compulsory motor vehicle insurance

What Courts Have Said

While BGH VI ZR 314/20 addresses comparative negligence in pedestrian-vehicle accidents, it reaffirms that vehicle operation carries inherent risk (Betriebsgefahr) — meaning strict liability principles still apply even when fault is shared. This reinforces that victims retain strong rights regardless of the at-fault driver’s insurance status.

What to Do

Sources

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