Working Life > Social Insurance > Statutory Accident Insurance

Statutory Accident Insurance

Definition, Explanation

Tips, Checklist

Definition, Explanation

Statutory accident insurance covers damages in your working environment, even when you are abroad – that is damages of occupational accidents, travelling accidents and occupational diseases. Travelling accidents include the daily way to work. The insurance takes over expenses for treating accident consequences and rehabilitation, of death benefit, surviving dependants' pension and the injured-pension (a benefit paid to an employer who has and has had an ability to work decreased by at least 20 % for longer than 26 weeks). Apart from that, they provide accident prevention measurements and education, makes accident prevention regulations and ensure that they are followed with supervising appointees. The insurance is valid for a dependent employment and during unemployment. Self-employed can be insured voluntarily, while contributions are fully paid by themselves.

For employees, contributions are paid completely by the employer, for unemployed, getters of unemployment benefit I and ALG II the labour agency. Insurers are the professional associations, communities and communal accident insurance associations. Legal basis is in § 8 SGB VII.

Tips, Checklist

• Report any accident to your employer immediately. They will inform the responsible insurer, who will then take further steps
• Travelling accidents are only covered by statutory accident insurance if it occurred on the shortest way between residence and workplace. Anything else is a private accident insurance's case. So, importantly, have a private one also. After all, only a quarter of all accidents happen at work, all others in free time.

Last update: 01/25/2010