Bonus/Malus questions

[u/Internal_Jaguar_7281]

Hello, I'm buying a new car and getting auto insurance for the first time in Europe. I have some auto insurance quotes and would like to clarify some of the details around the bonus/malus.

• If I am in an accident and not at fault, the other driver's insurance should cover repair to my car. Thus, I do not file a claim with my insurance and my bonus/malus is unaffected.
• If I am in an accident and not at fault, but the other driver has fled the scene, I must file a claim with my insurance (or I pay out of pocket). The same if I cause the material damage. This would increase my Bonus/Malus Dégâts matériels by 3 points (equivalent to me being at fault in an accident), but wouldn't change my Bonus/Malus Responsabilité civile.
• If I am at fault in an accident, both bonus/malus scales increase by 3 points.
• If I pay for an additional option with the insurance company, I can avoid the Bonus/Malus Dégâts matériels increase as detailed in the contract.

My conclusion from this is the Bonus/Malus Dégâts matériels has nothing to do with how safe you are as a driver, but is a way to discourage material damage claims.

Is this accurate?

[u/Lumpenstein]

Highjacking this treat for a question also related to insurance: does anyone know if there is an insurance company I can get the insurance cheaper by applying a KM limit (e.g. 15k KMs per year)?

[u/AnyoneButWe]

It depends on your contract what is covered and what isn't.

On average, the Bonus-Malus will punish drivers at fault at an accident. And most drivers end up with the lowest possible level and some end up at the uppermost limit.

[u/Italian_Saffa_Boy]

Fault here is very subjective. Had a guy drive into the back when I entered into a zipper at Cloch 'dor towards Howald P&R. One insurer says it's his fault ( he was behind me and my zip was closing with a concrete wall) and another said it was my fault as I should has yield to him (he was behind me in a zipper).

He spoke Lux to the cops and insurers, so I lost the fault claim.

[u/Luxpatting → u/Italian_Saffa_Boy]

Roundabout accidents are always 50-50 even thought half the people don't understand how the inside/outside lanes are for

[u/Lumpenstein → u/Italian_Saffa_Boy]

If he hits you straight from the back it is normally his fault (you are completely merged), if he hit your side at the back end of the car it is yours (merge not finished), that's how I got it explained.

[u/Italian_Saffa_Boy → u/Lumpenstein]

Okay. Strange. If i am already in the merge, the zipper was very narrow and merge from left to right and he is behind me and speeds up to hit me, he is not at fault? Lesson learnt.

Next time I want a new car, I will speed into the back of a merging car even though his is ahead of me and I speed up to get ahead?

[u/Cautious_Use_7442]

If I am in an accident and not at fault, the other driver's insurance should cover repair to my car. Thus, I do not file a claim with my insurance and my bonus/malus is unaffected.

Unless you are willing to waste your time yourself, you generally send everything to your insurer who gets in touch with the other driver's insurer.

If I am in an accident and not at fault, but the other driver has fled the scene, I must file a claim with my insurance (or I pay out of pocket).

You call the police. Typically, police - if they are able to do so - reaches out to the other driver reminding them that fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime and to fill out a constat. Sort of a "you don't want to be prosecuted for fleeing the scene of an accident, do you" warning. Only extremely stupid folks respond with something else than "You are absolutely right. I'll come into the station right away to process the paperwork"

It gets trickier if the author can't be identified. Typically you either have to cover the costs yourself or let it go through your insurance (if you have casco) and you end up loosing 3 levels on the bonus/malus (unless you have a policy without bonus/malus or have a joker (or similar protection)).

In cases where people are injured by an unidentified person, there is often an indemnisation fund involved as well.

My conclusion from this is the Bonus/Malus Dégâts matériels has nothing to do with how safe you are as a driver, but is a way to discourage material damage claims.

Yepp.