Help after an accident
Independent vehicle assessor for the Euskirchen and Düren districts and the Eifel
Had an accident and not sure what to do next? The most important points are set out here in English.
- Advice and an initial assessment cost you nothing: ring me or send a WhatsApp message
- Free of charge if the accident was not your fault — the other driver's insurer pays
- I come to you, usually the same day
Free advice and an initial assessment
Ring me or send me a WhatsApp message. It costs you nothing. Any question is welcome: whether an independent report is worth having in your case, what the other driver's insurer wants from you, or what a letter you have received actually means.
You do not have to instruct me and you do not have to sign anything. I will tell you what I make of it. And if I cannot help you, I will tell you that too.
My name is Christoph Dederich. I am a vehicle assessor based in Mechernich and I have been doing this job for more than ten years. I work independently: I am tied to neither a garage nor an insurance company.
A note on language: Advice is given in German. You are welcome to bring someone along to translate, or write to me in your own language on WhatsApp — I will reply in German.
First things first: you choose the assessor yourself
After an accident that was not your fault, it is for you to decide who inspects the damage to your vehicle. The other driver's insurer is not allowed to tell you which assessor to use.
That matters. If the other driver's insurer rings you and sends its own assessor, that assessor is working for the insurer. An independent assessor of your own works for you.
- Top-rated: 5.0 on Google
- Report turned around quickly
- I ring back if I do not pick up
- Maximum compensation: every item counts
- The whole claim handled directly with the other driver's insurer
What to do after the accident
What it costs
If the accident was not your fault, the other driver's motor insurer pays for the report. That makes it free of charge for you. You pay nothing up front.
If it is still unclear who was at fault, I will advise you beforehand, free of charge and with no obligation. The decision is then yours.
If you caused the accident yourself, or you need a report for some other reason, the cost depends on how much work is involved. We discuss that in advance, before you instruct me.
Worth knowing
How it works
You report the damage by telephone, on WhatsApp or through the form. You can send photographs of the damage in advance on WhatsApp.
I inspect your vehicle where it is: at the scene of the accident, at your home or at the garage. You do not have to drive anywhere. An on-site appointment is usually possible the same day.
The report is turned around quickly. I notify the other driver's insurer myself and settle the bill directly with them.
What the report sets out
A report records what has been damaged on the vehicle and what the repair will cost. It also puts a figure on items that many claimants know nothing about and therefore never claim from the other driver's insurer:
- Diminution in value (Wertminderung): A vehicle that has been in an accident is worth less than one that has not, even after a proper repair. The other driver's insurer has to make good that loss.
- Loss of use (Nutzungsausfall): For the period in which you cannot use your vehicle, you are entitled to a payment from the other driver's insurer, even if you do not take a hire car.
- Replacement value (Wiederbeschaffungswert) and salvage value (Restwert): If a repair is no longer worth doing, these two figures decide how much you receive: what it would cost you to buy a comparable used vehicle of the same age and condition, and what your damaged one is still worth as it stands.
Anyone who settles without a report usually misses out on these items.
Area covered
I cover the whole Euskirchen district, the Eifel and the Düren district
Mechernich, Euskirchen, Kall, Zülpich, Schleiden, Gemünd, Bad Münstereifel, Blankenheim, Hellenthal, Dahlem, Nettersheim and Weilerswist. I also cover the Düren district and the wider Eifel.
One phone call is all it takes
You can also reach me in the evenings and at weekends. If I do not pick up, I will ring you back.
0177 4010478Eifel-Schadenservice · Christoph Dederich · Landstraße 105 · 53894 Mechernich · 0177 4010478
This page summarises the essentials. The detailed information on all services, as well as the legal notice (Impressum), the privacy policy and the notice of your right to cancel (Widerrufsbelehrung), is in German. The German version is always the legally binding one.