Private Liability Insurance

Private or Personal Liability Insurance in Germany

Private or personal liability insurance (Private Haftpflichtversicherung) covers situations when you or your family member cause personal damage (Personenschäden), object damage (Sachschäden), or wealth damage (Vermögensschäden) to a third party.

Personal or private liability insurance is one of the most common optional insurances in Germany.

By German law, you are entirely liable for any damages you cause to third parties, unintentional or not, with all your assets. And since so many people in Germany have private liability insurance, Germans will generally have no uneasiness about suing you for any damage that you cause to them. If you are an expat or foreigner who just moved to Germany from India, China, Poland, Türkye, or another county, this may sound pretty absurd, but that’s how it works in Germany. For your protection from this financial risk, maybe it is a good idea to have personal liability insurance. Otherwise, you will pay for the damage with your money, and there might be a risk of personal bankruptcy.

The costs of Private Liability Insurance start at about 5€ per month, but usually, you can pay less if you get multiple insurances from the same insurance company.

Situations Covered by Personal Liability Insurance

In a nutshell, Personal Liability Insurance covers all varieties of situations where little misfortunes cause damage to others.

These are a few examples of cases where Personal Liability Insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) can provide cover:

• Unintentional damage to someone else’s property or physical integrity: For example, if you accidentally break an expensive item at a friend’s house or injure someone during a sports activity.
• Damage to someone else’s property: For example, if you accidentally break the glass of someone else’s car.
• Damage caused by pets: For example, if your dog bites or injures someone or damages someone else’s property.
• Liability for children: If you have children, this insurance can cover for damage your child causes to others, such as property damage or injuries.
• Travel accidents: If you are traveling and cause damage, such as damage to the hotel or injury to another guest, your private liability insurance can provide cover.

Personal liability insurance, Private liability insurance, and Third-party liability insurance are all terms used to describe the same thing – insurance that covers any personal or property damage you cause. In the German language, it is called Private Haftpflichtversicherung.

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Subgroups of private liability insurance

Within the category of private liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) in Germany, there are subgroups that can be further specified according to the needs of the insured. Some examples of subgroups of this insurance are:

• Family Liability Insurance (Familienhaftpflichtversicherung)
• Liability Insurance for Singles (Singlehaftpflichtversicherung)
• Animal Owner Liability Insurance (Tierhalterhaftpflichtversicherung)
• House and Land Owner’s Liability Insurance (Haus- und Grundbesitzerhaftpflichtversicherung)
• Liability Insurance for Sports Activities (Sportversicherung)
• Liability Insurance for Volunteer Activities (Ehrenamtsversicherung)
• Liability Insurance for Water Sports (Wassersporthaftpflichtversicherung)

These subgroups allow additional adjustments of coverage according to the specific needs and situations of the insured. It is important to consult with your insurance company to determine which sub-groups and coverage best suit your individual needs.

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