Zentralruf identifies the opponent’s auto liability insurance after an accident in Germany and other European countries, including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It can be reached 365 days a year around the clock at the free service hotline (0800) 250 260 0 as well as online at www.zentralruf.de/online-anfrage. Callers from abroad can reach Zentralruf at +49 (40) 300 330 300. Zentralruf is available for inquiries about foreign insurances Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parties damaged in a traffic accident or their representatives can use Zentralruf to identify the opponent’s auto liability insurance. Regarded representatives of the damaged party include insurance agents, lawyers, rental car companies, experts, personal representatives, repair workshops and towing service companies.
To identify the opponent auto liability insurance, Zentralruf needs the plate number of the opponent in the accident and the date of the accident. In case of accidents abroad, we also need to know the country in which the accident occurred and the opponent vehicle’s country of registration. For online queries and the rare case that we cannot provide the information immediately, we also need the email address of the inquiring party. You can expedite the claims settlement with the liable insurance by providing additional voluntary information such as a callback phone number.
The information from Zentralruf pertains to the identification of the opponent auto liability insurance. The caller usually receives the name and contact details of the identified insurance. By means of these data, the inquiring parties can initiate a swift claims settlement. In the event of an accident abroad, information about the foreign insurance as well as the competent claims settlement office in Germany will be provided.
In 95% of queries placed with Zentralruf, processing takes only a few minutes. In very rare cases, the processing can take more time; we will then get back to you with the information usually within 24 hours. The processing time for accidents abroad can be longer.
No. Because claims can only be filed with the competent insurance company, the query placed with Zentralruf does not replace the damage report. Zentralruf researches the contact details of the opponent auto liability insurance when a query is received. The opponent’s insurance should be contacted as soon as possible for claims settlement.
In case of accidents involving German car drivers in EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Zentralruf can research the accident opponent’s auto liability insurance. In Germany, Zentralruf identifies the opponent insurance if you had an accident with another vehicle that is insured in Germany. If your accident opponent’s vehicle is insured abroad, you have to contact the “Deutsches Büro Grüne Karte” (German Green Card settlement agency for auto liability claims).
No. Zentralruf facilitates contact with the opponent auto liability insurance, however, the claims must be filed independently with the competent insurance company.
The party placing the query does not incur any costs for Zentralruf.
For several years now, EU citizens have had the option of contacting a claims settlement agent to settle accident claims with foreign auto liability insurances. The claims settlement agent is the representative of the opponent insurance in Germany. The competent agent will send a questionnaire to the claimant and request supporting documents such as the European Accident Report, the Green Card, evidence of incurred damages, photos of the accident site, etc. After this, the agent will contact the foreign insurance company to get confirmation of cover from the insurer and obtain a damage report from the foreign accident participant. The claims settlement agent can be identified by placing a query with Zentralruf.