Hello, my name is Anton Boronin. I am an independent vehicle appraiser in and around Frankfurt am Main.

If you have had an accident with your vehicle, I will advise you, support you with further damage assessment and carry out an independent expert report for your vehicle.

In addition to providing advice in language you can understand, I offer you a range of services related to the report that you need to submit to the insurance company in order to receive compensation for the damage to your vehicle.

The services I offer are listed below:

– Inspection of the vehicle at a location and time that is convenient for you.

– Detailed documentation of the damage to the vehicle;

– Assessment of cars and motorcycles;

– Determination of the loss in market value of the vehicle after the accident (mercantile depreciation);

The price will be reduced if the vehicle is later sold. An accident-free vehicle is always rated higher than a car that has had an accident, even if it has been professionally and fully restored. In the event of a later sale, a potential buyer or dealer will attempt to lower the price. This results in additional financial damage for the injured party, which the appraiser calculates and includes in their report in order to compensate for it.

– Calculation of the maximum amount of compensation for total loss of the vehicle;

If the vehicle cannot be repaired (total loss), the maximum amount of compensation will be charged; this amount is based on the current market value of the vehicle.

When estimating repair costs, I refer to both local and regional workshop prices as well as official dealer prices to avoid underestimating the repair costs by the insurance company. This also applies to the addition of spare parts for a specific vehicle brand (UPE surcharge).

– Assessment of compensation for the loss of use of the vehicle during repairs (loss of use compensation);

If your vehicle is in the workshop for repairs and therefore you cannot use it and are dependent on the vehicle (e.g. have to drive to work), you will receive compensation in the form of a sum of money for each day of repairs. This amount is calculated according to the corresponding table / method and taken into account in the expert report. With the standard calculation, you will only receive compensation for the time the vehicle was in the workshop for repairs. My estimates take into account not only the repair time, but also the downtime on the day of the accident and on the day of the inspection, since you were not able to use your vehicle during this time. It sounds logical, doesn’t it?

Below are some tips to make the billing process easier and help you avoid losing money.

Why is it so important to draw up an appraisal and not a cost estimate from a workshop?

Do not let the insurance company influence you: hire an appraiser yourself. After an accident which involves several injured parties, the insurance company will contact the opposing party and offer its own expert, i.e. an expert from the insurance company, or inform you that the workshop’s cost estimate is sufficient and that an expert does not need to be called in. It is best to decline such offers, because in this case the insurance company will try to save / reduce your payments. In the event of an accident, you have the right to hire a motor vehicle expert of your choice.

Have your car repaired at a workshop of your choice. In the event of an accident, the opposing insurance company may contact you and suggest a “good workshop” where you can have your car repaired. It is better to refuse because 99% of the time it is a cheap repair shop and the insurance company is trying to cut the cost of repairs to save money.

There is a persistent misconception that after an accident all you have to do is get a quote from a car repair shop. But this is not the case. The expert’s report is much more detailed and contains a lot of information that is not included in the workshop’s cost estimate.

The amount of damage in the workshop’s cost estimate is almost always lower than in the vehicle expert’s report.

How can I claim damages without having my car repaired (fictive accounting)?

With this type of settlement, which is based on an expert report, you as the injured party get to decide whether or not you want your vehicle to be repaired. If you want to use the car, it must be put into a safe technical condition.

You get the net value (net) of the repairs. In order to receive VAT, the vehicle must be repaired in a workshop for the amount stated in the report. The repair invoice must be sent to the insurance company.

What should I do in the event of minor damage to the vehicle?

Some are of the opinion that minor damage up to € 750 (e.g. parking damage, manoeuvres, etc.) does not require an expert opinion, but a cost estimate from the repair company. In reality, this is far from the case. Even minor damage often leads to high repair costs of € 1,000 or more. See these examples.

I advise you to always consult a lawyer. Claims settlement through the insurance company is much quicker and easier in most cases when a lawyer is involved in the case.

Do not take the car to a workshop immediately after the accident, but only after an appraisal has been drawn up. This will save both time and your nerves. The insurance company may have questions about the damage to the car. If the car has already been partially repaired and for some reason the insurance company needs to do an inspection, it can be difficult to pay the amount of the damage. In such a case, it is difficult to prove what was damaged and what was not at the time of the accident.

Costs for the appraisal of the vehicle or of damage to your car

The amount of the motor vehicle expert fee depends on the extent of the damage. My fee is paid by the opposing insurance company.

My services are free of charge for you.