Accident scenarios in Switzerland or abroad
Scenario 1: A car collides with yours while you are driving to work on the freeway – the guilty driver fails to stop and simply drives on. Your passenger manages to take a photograph of the other car's license plate. In such a case, you are permitted to ask the vehicle licensing office for the name of the keeper of the other vehicle involved. Our model text will help you. In such cases, you should also file a police report.
Scenario 2: You are driving your own car while on vacation abroad – and you are involved in an accident with a local. In order to ensure that the perpetrator of the accident pays your repair bill, you need to be aware of certain points. See our fact sheet including a letter template to the National Guarantee Fund and the Swiss National Bureau of Insurance.
Important: Vehicle drivers who are involved in an accident must report the accident to their liability insurer without delay. We also recommend reporting the accident to the liability insurer of the other party involved in the accident (see template). It is important that the insurer is made aware of the accident so that it can take the necessary steps, for example request documentation and arrange for an expert opinion, and make the necessary preparations. For reasons of evidence, it is important that you document how the accident happened. To this end, be sure to fill out a European accident statement.
Attention: If you commission a garage to repair your vehicle, you as the customer are responsible for payment of the bill – and not the liability insurer of the other party involved in the accident. The garage does not have to wait until you have reached an agreement with the insurer. We therefore recommend that you obtain a liability acknowledgment from the other party's insurer before commissioning the garage. In the event of major damage, you should also have a recognized expert vehicle inspector provide an expert opinion. Such documents are recognized by authorities, courts of law, and insurers and serve to validate your damage claim. The party who caused the accident or their insurer is required to pay the associated costs.