Company Car Accidents: Reports, Insurance and Notification

A driver-completed report is not valid for every accident

The SBM form is for material-damage-only accidents where the drivers agree to record how the crash occurred. It is not sufficient when someone is injured or killed; emergency assistance and law enforcement are needed.

SBM also lists exceptions involving missing or inadequate licences, underage drivers, suspected alcohol or mental-health issues, public vehicles/property and missing compulsory insurance. Do not assume signatures alone make the form sufficient in a doubtful case.

Where safe, photograph the location, vehicles and damage. Complete the date, driver, vehicle, policy and signature fields accurately. Never produce a false report.

Notify the company and rental team

Contact the fleet manager and, for a rental, the contact channel specified in the agreement without delay. Provide photographs, the report, driver details and policy information as requested. Do not continue driving an unsafe vehicle.

Check notification deadlines, repair approval, recovery, deductibles and replacement-vehicle conditions in the policy and contract. An immediate, same-category or free replacement is not a universal guarantee for every damage event.

Insurance payments and liability are separate

Compulsory third-party cover and comprehensive insurance address different losses and cover. Payments depend on limits, deductibles, exclusions and the event. Fault should not be presented as a permanently binding result established by a single assessor in every case.

Even when another driver is at fault, not every loss, depreciation claim or loss-of-use claim is automatically paid without limits. The claimed amount, insurer’s assessment and any legal review need separate consideration.

Employee, employer and vehicle-operator liability and recovery depend on the circumstances. A rental agreement is not an immunity document transferring all statutory responsibility to one party.

Work-accident reporting requires a separate check

Whether a traffic crash on duty is a work accident depends on the employment relationship and facts. For Article 4/1-a employees, SGK’s guidance requires immediate notification to law enforcement and notification to SGK within three working days after the accident.

For events outside employer control where learning of the accident is impeded, SGK describes three working days from learning of it. A traffic report or insurance claim does not itself complete the SGK notification.