Vehicle insurance cover in another Member State

Information on the procedure in case of an accident involving vehicles: Obligation to use the official accident declaration form ; Obligation to call the police.

 If you have caused a traffic accident:

  • Advise to the injured party: your name, surname and place of residence or name, surname and place of residence or trade name and place of business of the vehicle owner, trade name and place of business of the insurer, with which the Motor Liability Insurance was concluded, and the number of the insurae policy, registration (plate) number of your vehicle, by which the damage was caused.
  • Call the Police of the Czech Republic in the case that a person is injured or killed upon a traffic accident, a material damage occurs on any of the involved vehicles including transported items or other property exceeding the amount of CZK 100.000 or a material damage was caused to a property of a third party. Participation of the Police of Czech Republic is free. If a traffic  accident is investigated by the Police of the Czech Republic, sign the police record only if you agree to its wording. Otherwise include your opinion in it.
  • In case the participants involved in a traffic accident are not obligated to call the police, a joint accident report must be drawn up and signed. The joint traffic accident record must contain the identification of the place and time of the traffic accident, its participants and vehicles, its causes, course and consequences. It is appropriate to use the "European Accident Record" form. The template of the form (in Czech) can be downloaded from the Ministry of Transport's website (www.mdcr.cz).
  • Take a photo documentation of the place of a traffic accident and damaged car parts, ideally from multiple angles.
  • Write down contacts to traffic accident participants and witnesses.
  • Without any delay notify your insurer in writing that a loss event has occurred, submit relevant documents including a statement of requested compensation and its amount. Follow your insurer's instructions during the investigation.
  • In case the injured party resides in another state than the person who caused the accident (it means you), you have to provide the injured party documents for claiming his/her right to compensation and to notify your own insurer that a loss event has occurred.

Information on any penalties if the accident procedure is not respected.

Breach of the obligation to report a traffic accidents to the Police of the Czech republic is considered as a transgression. The obligation to call the Police of the Czech Republic occurs in the case that a person is injured or killed upon a traffic accident, a material damage occurs on any of the involved vehicles including transported items or other property exceeding the amount of CZK 100.000 or a material damage was caused to a property of a third party. Participation of the Police of Czech Republic is free.

Information on the procedure for claiming compensation from the other driver’s insurer.

If anyone else has caused a damage to your vehicle:

  • Find out traffic accident offender’s name, surname and place of residence; name, surname and place of residence or trade name and place of business of the vehicle owner; trade name and place of business of the insurer, with which the Motor Liability Insurance was concluded;  the number of the insurance policy, the number of the Green Card and its time validity or number of the frontier insurance of this vehicle. Make photocopies of these documents if possible.
  • Call the Police of the Czech Republic in the case that a person is injured or killed upon a traffic accident, a material damage occurs on any of the involved vehicles including transported items or other property exceeding the amount of CZK 100.000 or a material damage was caused to a property of a third party. Participation of the Police of Czech Republic is free. If a traffic  accident is investigated by the Police of the Czech Republic, sign the police record only if you agree to its wording. Otherwise include your opinion in it.
  • In case the participants involved in a traffic accident are not obligated to call the police, a joint accident report must be drawn up and signed. The joint traffic accident record must contain the identification of the place and time of the traffic accident, its participants and vehicles, its causes, course and consequences. It is appropriate to use the "European Accident Record" form. The template of the form (in Czech) can be downloaded from the Ministry of Transport's website (www.mdcr.cz).
  • Take a photo documentation of the place of a traffic accident and damaged car parts, ideally from multiple angles.
  • Write down contacts to traffic accident participants and witnesses.
  • Contact the relevant traffic accident offender‘s insurer  and present documentation proving  traffic accident offender‘ s liability.
  • If the traffic accident offender‘s vehicle is registered in a foreign state, make contact with a claims representative appointed by traffic accident offender‘s insurer. List of claims representatives provides the information center of the Czech Insurers' Bureau (www.ckp.cz). The claims representative will handle your claim for compensation and ensure payment of compensation.

Information on the procedure for filling an accident declaration.

It is appropriate to use the "European Accident Record" form. The template of the form (in Czech) can be downloaded from the Ministry of Transport's website (www.mdcr.cz). The form can be replaced by a common record of the traffic accident, which must contain the identification of the place and time of the traffic accident, its participants and vehicles, its causes, course and consequences, and signatures of the participants. It is recommended to take photo documentation of the place of a traffic accident and damaged car parts, ideally from different angles.

Information on the required minimum insurance coverage.

Insurance coverage limits represent the ultimate amount paid in the case a loss event occured. The minimum statutory insurance limit is CZK 35.000.000 per injured or killed and CZK 35.000.000 for damage to property for all injured. Practically it means that in the case of a traffic accident the insurer will pay to the injured party the actual amount of damage up to the maximum agreed insurance limits.

The Motor Liability Insurance covers  namely (for details see  Section 6 (2) Act No. 168/1999 Coll.):

  • demage caused  by bodily harm or by killing;
  • cost of caring for an injured animal and costs caused by damage, destruction or loss of the property, or theft of the property;
  • loss of profits;
  • legal representation costs for the above claims etc.

The Motor Liability Insurance does not cover namely (for details see  Section 7 (1, 2, 3) Act No. 168/1999 Coll.):

  • demage caused to the traffic accident offender;
  • demage caused to the offender’s vehicle and to objects transported by offender’s vehicle;
  • treatment costs, sickness insurance benefits and pension insurance due to personal injury or death caused to the offender of the traffic accident etc.

Information on how  to claim compensation if the other driver’s vehicle is not insured.

In the case that the demage was caused by the operation of an unidentified vehicle or by a person without the Motor Liability Insurance you are entitled to compensation from the so-called guarantee fund which is operated by the Czech Insurers' Bureau (www.ckp.cz). The insurer or the Czech Insurers' Bureau will investigate announced loss event within 3 months from the date of claiming and will inform the injured party about amount of insurance cover or will provide an explanation of rejected or reduced compensation.