Accident: how are material damages other than vehicle damage compensated?

Verified 13 March 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Car insurance is mainly used to repair personal injuries and property damage to vehicles during an accident. Carte grise But it can also, under conditions, compensate you for other types of damage related to the vehicles involved in the accident: cost of the vehicle, towing and storage costs, travel costs caused by the unavailability of the vehicle. Here's the information you need to know.

Carte grise If your vehicle is irreparable as a result of an accident, the insurance contract may provide for the reimbursement of part of the costs of issuing the

The rate of reimbursement varies according to your level of responsibility for the occurrence of the accident and according to the guarantees provided in your contract.

Carte grise The amount reimbursed is generally equal to the cost of the destroyed vehicle for the remaining period up to 8e year of registration.

Carte grise Indeed, the cost of the train is considered to be fully amortized over a period of 8 years.

Example :

If the accident occurs in the 5th year of registration, the refund will correspond to a period of 3 years.

The towing and guarding costs shall be borne by the insurer of the person responsible for the accident, in connection with the civil liability guarantee.

These costs may also be covered by your own insurer on the basis of the guarantee damage or the guarantee third collision. In the latter case, your insurance will not intervene if you are considered to be the perpetrator of the material damage suffered by your vehicle.

If your insurance contract so provides, you can be compensated for costs incurred due to the unavailability of your vehicle, such as renting a replacement vehicle.

The insurer of the person found responsible for the accident may also compensate you in connection with its civil liability guarantee.

In order to receive this compensation, you will have to prove that you have suffered damage due to the unavailability of your vehicle (rental invoice for example).

Compensation may be calculated on the basis of a flat rate or the actual cost of renting a replacement vehicle.

The insurance may refuse to cover certain costs in any of the following cases:

  • The contract does not provide for the payment of such damages.
  • The loss is due to intentional misconduct or failure to comply with the traffic rules (e.g. drunk driving, speeding)
  • The declaration of the accident is too late, causing damage to the insurer.

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