Liability Insurance Germany

Haftpflichtversicherung a.k.a. Liability Insurance – a must have in Germany

Last update: 2 January 2020

Have you ever come across the word “Haftpflichtversicherung” since you’re living in Germany? I hope you have! Because the “Haftpflichtversicherung”, in English “liability insurance” is definitely one of the most important insurances in Germany and an absolute must-have. Let’s first of all clarify what this insurance is about and why you should have one.

What is “Haftpflichtversicherung” or Liability insurance?

Per definition a liability insurance protects you from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. Sounds complicated? Simply put, a liability insurance covers you in case you are held legally responsible for a negligent bodily injury or property damage. Here are some examples:

• You’re bumping into someone at a bus stop and the person’s mobile drops to the ground, breaking the screen of the phone. You would be obligated to offset the damage. Fixing the damage or a new phone can easily cost you 500 EUR or more.
• You’re cooking at a friends house and by accident you’re dropping a heavy mug on the ceramic glass cooktop damaging the cooktop. This can also easily cost 500 to 1,000 EUR….
• You run over a pedestrian with your bike and the person breaks his/her leg. The treatment costs can easily run into thousands of Euros and you would have to pay for it! Not to mention permanent injuries and the financial obligations for that…

So as you can see, the liability insurance is an important, if not the most important, insurance in Germany. It is important to mention, that a liability insurance does not cover liabilities from injuries/damages caused while you are driving a car. For that you need a car insurance which is obligatory in Germany when you register a car.

At a glance – Liability Insurance Germany Overview

Below you will find a summary of liability insurance providers in Germany that offer good value for money and are easy to deal with.

Liability Insurance Germany – Detailed Overview

coya

coya is a new digital insurance company that is based in Berlin. It offers innovative insurance services especially to younger people. You can get your insurance policy from coya directly online within a few minutes and without any paperwork at all. Monthly rates are starting at just 4.99 EUR/month. Along with the possibility to cancel the insurance at any time and no additional payments (no “Selbstbeteiligung”), this is definitely one of the best packages on the market. Needless to say, that they of course offer their service also in English.

   Liability insurance starting from just 4.99 EUR/month
   Manage your insurance policy completely online (no paperwork)
   No fixed duration, can be cancelled at any time
   No additional payments (0 EUR Selbstbeteiligung)
   Service available in English

coya Liability Insurance

getsafe

getsafe is a relatively new start-up offering insurance solutions online. They started as an insurance broker platform originally but have introduced their own insurance policies recently. At getsafe you can get a liability insurance starting from 4.70 EUR per month. In addition you can extend coverage for your family and drones. You can easily insure yourself online within 5 minutes and manage your insurance policy digitally via the getsafe app. Furthermore their website/app is available in both English and German.

   Liability insurance starting from 4.70 EUR/month
   Optional family and drone insurance can be added
   Manage your insurance policy via app
   No fixed duration, can be cancelled at any time
   Service available in English

getsafe Liability Insurance

helden.de

helden.de is an insurance company that also focuses on digital insurance services. It only takes three minutes to obtain your insurance policy online and they have a one-price-for-all policy, meaning that the insurance covers yourself and your partner living in the same household. Furthermore the policy covers damages caused by drones. The monthly cost is 6 EUR and you can cancel it at any time meaning there is no fixed duration. Their website is only available in German, however you can contact them via chat (chat bubble on the bottom right) and phone and their English-speaking staff will guide you through the process.

  Flatrate liability insurance for 6 EUR/month (including your partner & damages caused by drones)
  No fixed duration, can be cancelled at any time
  Only available in German (however good English-speaking customer service)

helden.de Liability Insurance

Summary – Liability Insurance Germany

Of course there are many more liability insurance providers on the market, but I hope this article gives you a good overview about the topic liability insurance in Germany. If you want to compare more policies you can check out this comparison calculator.

Disclaimer: This article reflects my personal opinion about the above mentioned insurance providers and their offered policies. I am not giving insurance advice nor am I working for the above mentioned companies. However the article contains affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission if you use those links.