Comparison Motor Vehicle Insurance - Germany vs. USA

Driving a car is fun and it’s also necessary, regardless whether it’s on German or American highways. Unfortunately, driving cars also has its drawbacks: Much too often, unwanted incidents, which can range from a simple scratch in the paint or a collision to more serious traffic accidents involving damage to the people in the car, happen.

Quickly, the question of who is supposed to cover for such damage arises – especially when one is foreign to a country or when one wishes to switch from one system to another. Motor vehicle insurance is probably one of the most important kinds of insurance, in Germany as well as in the USA, because it also covers claims of third parties in traffic. Of course the systems are rather different from each other, and it is exactly those differences that you wished to be informed about. Even short-term or medium-length stays, be they for private or business reasons, can hold important surprises for US-citizens in Germany as well as for German citizens in the USA when it comes to compulsory insurance, discount grants, premiums and no claim discounts.

This is why, on these pages, you will find basic information about insurance systems in Germany and the USA as such, as well as about what you need to consider when it comes to discounts, transfer of discounts , extent of coverage and additional insurance in both countries.