In-depth topic pages on the most important questions after a traffic accident. They include Federal Court of Justice (BGH) case law, practical examples and clear, simple guidelines. Each page can be read on its own.
Market value after repair: the market discount that stays on the car even after a professional repair (Wertminderung). Choice of method (Ruhkopf-Sahm, MFM, Halbgewachs), BGH case law and an overview of the factors that go into the valuation. When it is due and when it is not. How the expert calculates it. What the insurer accepts. Open topic
Extent of damage and settlement: the three types of total loss (Totalschaden). How the residual value (Restwert) is found on the regional market. Which settlement options you have if the repair would cost more than a replacement vehicle. Economic, technical, new car. Residual value on the regional market. Your right to choose how to settle. Open topic
Repair above the replacement value (Wiederbeschaffungswert): the formula, two worked examples and what the six-month period means. Also the eight BGH decisions that describe the range, each with the outcome of the case. How the threshold is calculated. Which conditions the repair must meet. When selling the car ends your claim. Open topic
What the independent vehicle expert finds and which measuring tools he uses.
How the expert calculates, for example the diminished value or the residual value on the regional market.
What a report states, from the recorded findings to the point where the expert's task ends.
Seven features that show the quality of a finished report.
If you hold a report in your hands or plan to order one, you will find the basics here.
The profession: what he determines, which measuring tools he uses, what a report states and where his task ends. Open topic
Choosing: four proofs of qualification, seven features you can check in the finished report and seven signs that call for a closer look. Open topic
Costs: values from the BVSK fee survey by amount of damage (BVSK is a German association of vehicle experts). Also additional costs, and who pays in a liability claim, with shared fault or under your own vehicle insurance. Open topic
Duration: from the appointment and inspection to the calculation and delivery, plus what you can do to speed it up. Open topic
After the accident: advance payment, default interest, choice of repair shop, access to the police file, your own evidence documentation, limitation period and legal expenses insurance, with the next step for each point. Open topic
Flat rate: daily rates from the vehicle class table and the BGH case law on older vehicles. Open topic
Type of settlement: having the repair costs paid out without having to repair the car, and where this option ends. Open topic
Wild animals and comprehensive coverage (Teilkasko): what the evidence on the vehicle shows, how we check that the described accident fits the damage and what the wild animal accident certificate is for. Open topic
When the payment is reduced: the arguments used to reduce the fee invoice and which documentation answers each one. Open topic
Damage history: Hinweis- und Informationssystem (HIS, the insurers' information system). Open topic
Transfer of a claim: passing on your claim for damages. Open topic
Do you only need a short definition? The damage glossary from A to Z explains 17 terms on one page, from downtime to replacement value. You can read the full process after an accident that was not your fault in the accident guide. The first steps, one after another, are in the checklist after the accident.
Do you have a specific case? You can usually find the right service quickly: Damage report, Repair estimate or report, Valuation and classic car valuation reports or Report review and expert statement. We work in the whole Nuremberg Metropolitan Region . Our 5.0 out of 5 stars on Google and more than 60 reviews are shown on the Reviews.
If the repair costs less than a replacement vehicle, the topic is usually diminished value or fictitious settlement (fiktive Abrechnung). If the repair costs more, compare it with the replacement value. This shows if it is a total loss or if the 130% rule applies. If the car is out of use for a longer time, loss-of-use compensation is added. If you are unsure, call us. The assessment takes only a few minutes on the phone.
No. CleverCrash is an office of independent vehicle experts, not a law firm. We determine the technical facts and calculate them in a way that is easy to follow. A traffic law lawyer decides whether a claim exists and how to assert it against the insurer. These pages are general information for consumers.
It comes from two sources: our own report practice in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and published decisions of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). Where a decision is named, the case number and date are given. On the page about the 130% rule, the outcome of the case is also given. A case number alone does not show who won.
Each topic page has a date at the bottom. It shows which state of the case law the text refers to. If the case law changes on one point, we revise the page and update the date.
Maximilian Fromm, engineer (B.Sc. in Mechatronics), owner of CleverCrash in Erlangen, member of the VDI (Association of German Engineers). He passed the certified knowledge examination at SFV e.V., a German association of vehicle experts. The content comes from our daily report practice, not from text templates.
Call us. A short call about the technical assessment of your damage case is free and does not commit you to anything. If your question is a legal one, we tell you openly. On request, we refer you to a specialized law firm and receive no commission for this.
Knowledge pages explain the theory. In a specific damage case, it helps to talk directly to an independent vehicle expert. For accidents that were not your fault, you do not pay in advance. The other party's liability insurance usually pays the costs of the report. If you share fault, it pays its share. For very small damage, it usually does not pay. In our practice, the limit is about €750. The case law sets no fixed limit. If you make a claim with your own vehicle insurance, you generally pay for an expert you hired yourself. This follows from § 85(2) of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG). We do not charge for a short first call on the phone about the technical assessment.
CleverCrash is an office of independent vehicle experts, not a law firm. These pages are general consumer information and do not replace legal advice in an individual case.
Last updated: September 3, 2026. The page reflects the case law known at that time.
