When must the accident report reach the insurance?
Deadlines depend on the type of insurance:
- Liability insurance: Report within one week recommended.
- Comprehensive insurance: Contractual deadlines often 3–7 days.
- Legal protection insurance: Report as soon as possible if legal support is needed.
General rule: Report every accident within one week. Late reports can delay processing or lead to claim rejection.
What the insurance company needs
For fast claims processing, your insurer needs:
- Completed accident report (PDF from unfallbericht.at in CEA standard format)
- Photos of all damage
- Photos of the accident scene
- Police report (if police attended)
- Repair cost estimate
- Witness statements (if available)
The more complete your submission, the faster the processing.
Send the accident report as PDF directly
The big advantage of the digital accident report: You can send the finished PDF to your insurance immediately – directly from the accident scene.
Options:
- Email to your insurer's claims department
- WhatsApp or Messenger (many insurers offer this)
- Upload via your insurer's customer portal
- Attach to online claims form
With the paper form, you'd need to scan and mail it. The digital report saves days.
Liability vs. comprehensive: Different reporting paths
Which insurance is responsible depends on who caused the accident:
If you caused the accident: Report to your liability insurance.
If the other driver caused it: Report to their liability insurance, plus inform your own.
If the cause is unknown (e.g. parking damage): Report to your comprehensive insurance (if available).
What happens after the claim is filed?
After your report, the claims process follows:
1. Review: Insurance examines the report and documents.
2. Assessment: For larger claims, an adjuster inspects the damage.
3. Decision: Insurance determines the reimbursement amount.
4. Payment: Amount is transferred to you or directly to the repair shop.
A complete, clear accident report significantly speeds up the process.
Common mistakes when filing claims
Avoid these mistakes:
- Reporting too late: Stick to the deadlines.
- Incomplete report: Missing data leads to follow-up questions.
- No photos: Without photos, evidence is weak.
- Admitting fault: Let the insurance determine liability.
- Repairing without approval: Wait for insurance approval.
- Only verbal reporting: Written reports are always better.
How do I send the digital accident report to my insurance?
After completing and signing the report on unfallbericht.at, a PDF in CEA standard format is generated automatically.
Fastest method: Send the PDF by email to your insurer's claims department.
Alternatively: Upload via the customer portal or share via WhatsApp.
The report is also saved in your account on unfallbericht.at and can be re-downloaded at any time.
Frequently asked questions about insurance claims
Within one week recommended. Comprehensive claims may have shorter deadlines.
PDF in CEA standard format. unfallbericht.at generates this automatically.
Late reports can delay processing or lead to claim rejection.
Yes. Hidden damage often appears later and late reporting is harder.
Yes. The PDF can be sent via email, WhatsApp or uploaded to the insurance portal.
Create and send your accident report now
Create the report digitally and send the PDF directly to your insurance.
Start accident report