An accident does not only damage cars. Bruises, whiplash or a fracture mean pain, medical appointments and often weeks of restrictions at work and at home. German law provides compensation for this: Schmerzensgeld, literally “pain money”. On top of that come financial losses that many injured people never claim.
This page explains when you are entitled to compensation, how German courts set the amount and why evidence is decisive, especially for neck and back injuries. An overview of all claims after an accident is on our page on car accidents and claims. Aleksander Sigal, Fachanwalt für Verkehrsrecht, advises you in English.
When are you entitled to Schmerzensgeld?
The legal basis is § 253(2) BGB: anyone whose body or health is injured can claim fair compensation in money. This applies even if the other driver is liable only for the operating risk of their vehicle, without proof of fault (§ 11 StVG). You claim directly from the motor liability insurer of the person responsible.
The injury must have been caused by the accident. Very minor impairments with no real consequences do not give rise to a claim. Passengers, cyclists and pedestrians are entitled too – passengers even if the driver of their own car caused the accident; that driver's insurer then pays. Your nationality and where you live make no difference.
How is the amount assessed?
There is no formula. German awards are generally lower than in the United States, and there are no punitive damages. Compensation is meant to offset what you went through and, depending on the degree of fault, to give some satisfaction. Courts consider in particular:
- type and severity of the injury, duration and intensity of pain
- hospital stays, operations, rehabilitation
- time off work and limitations in daily life
- permanent damage, scars, psychological effects
- age and personal circumstances, such as having to give up sport
- the degree of fault, for instance drink-driving by the other driver
- an insurer that drags out the settlement without good reason
Compensation tables: a guide, not a price list
Lawyers and courts use compensation tables (Schmerzensgeldtabellen), collections of published judgments such as those by Hacks/Wellner/Häcker or Slizyk. They show what courts awarded in comparable cases.
You cannot read off a fixed amount for a particular injury. Every case differs in recovery, consequences and personal circumstances, and older awards must be adjusted for inflation. Be wary of figures found online – and of a first offer from the insurer before anyone has checked comparable judgments.
How to document your injuries
- See a doctor at once. Get examined on the day of the accident or the next day, even if symptoms seem mild. Describe the accident and all complaints in full.
- Secure the findings. Ask for a medical certificate (Attest) stating the diagnosis, findings and how long you are unfit for work. X-rays or MRI scans strengthen the evidence.
- Record the course. Keep a pain diary with symptoms, restrictions, appointments and medication. Photograph visible injuries.
- Keep up treatment. Attend follow-up appointments and physiotherapy. Gaps in treatment are often read as a sign that the complaints had gone.
- Keep receipts. Collect receipts for prescription charges, medication, travel to appointments and help in the household.
If you are only visiting Berlin, ask for copies of all reports before you leave and continue documentation with your doctor at home.
Whiplash: the evidence problem
Neck injuries (HWS-Verletzungen) after rear-end collisions are common and are disputed by insurers more than almost any other injury. A typical objection is that the change in speed at impact was too low to cause harm. Back in 2003, however, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled that there is no fixed “harmlessness threshold” (judgment of 28 January 2003 – VI ZR 139/02); even at low impact speeds an injury can be proven, depending on the circumstances.
Proof is still not easy. For the initial injury, the courts require full proof. Prompt medical findings that go beyond repeating your own account are therefore decisive. Pre-existing spinal conditions do not rule out a claim, but insurers regularly raise them. In court proceedings, a medical and an accident-reconstruction report are often obtained.
Further losses after an injury
- Medical costs: prescription charges, co-payments, medication and travel to treatment.
- Loss of earnings: employees first receive continued pay, then sickness benefit (Krankengeld); the shortfall against net pay is recoverable. The self-employed must prove lost profit in detail.
- Household management loss (Haushaltsführungsschaden): if your injury stops you running the household, you are compensated – even if relatives step in and nobody is paid.
- Increased needs: lasting extra costs, for example for aids, adaptations or care.
How vehicle damage is settled is explained on our page on insurance claims after an accident.
Contributory fault
If the injured person contributed to their own injury, compensation is reduced (§ 254 BGB, § 9 StVG). The most common case is not wearing a seat belt: if the belt would have prevented or reduced the injury, you bear part of the loss. The insurer must prove this, however. Other examples are travelling with an obviously drunk driver or your own driving error.
Limitation and settlement offers
Claims generally become time-barred three years from the end of the year in which the claim arose and you knew, or without gross negligence should have known, of the injury and who was liable (§§ 195, 199(1) BGB). Regardless of knowledge, they become time-barred at the latest 30 years after the accident (§ 199(2) BGB). Notifying the insurer suspends the period until it gives its decision in text form.
Be careful with settlement offers. By signing a settlement and release (Abfindungserklärung) you usually give up all further claims, including for late effects. If recovery is uncertain, a reservation for future losses should be agreed, or a court should confirm that the other side is liable for them. Aleksander Sigal checks the insurer's offers and advises you in English on 030 86 20 12 40 or via the contact page. For costs, see fees and legal expenses insurance.
This article gives a general overview of German law (as of October 2026) and does not replace advice on your individual case.