Wegweiser Road accident victims · Claims after the accident Deutsch

🤝 Advice and contact points

Where to find advice and help nationwide after a road accident.

advice finding a lawyer traffic lawyer Verkehrsopferhilfe Weisser Ring victim helpline ADAC legal advice

In brief

You do not have to sort out the consequences of an accident alone. These nationwide bodies are documented:

  • Lawyer for traffic law: search via anwaltauskunft.de (Deutscher Anwaltverein, German Bar Association) or verkehrsanwaelte.de.
  • Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V.: if the person responsible has fled or is uninsured, verkehrsopferhilfe.de.
  • WEISSER RING victim helpline 116 006: free of charge, daily from 7 am to 10 pm, for people affected by a crime, for example in a hit and run with injuries. See weisser-ring.de.
  • ADAC: by its own account, members receive legal advice from partner lawyers.

In acute danger, call the emergency number 112 or the police.

Step by step

  1. AcuteIf anyone is injured, call emergency number 112 and the police.
  2. Legal adviceContact a lawyer specialising in traffic law or your legal expenses insurer.
  3. Victim supportIf the consequences are distressing, use the victim helpline 116 006.
  4. Secure your claimsOrganise your documents and note deadlines.

Deadlines

116 006
WEISSER RING victim helpline, free of charge, daily from 7 am to 10 pmweisser-ring.de
3 years
Regular limitation period for damages claims§ 195, § 199 Abs. 1 BGB
Watch out – common mistakes
  • The victim helpline is aimed at people affected by crime; not every road accident is a criminal offence.
  • This page names no local advice centres because no documented information on them is available.
  • ADAC legal advice applies to members, by its own account.
  • Information is not a substitute for legal advice.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Finding a lawyer

The Deutsche Anwaltauskunft (portal of the Deutscher Anwaltverein, German Bar Association) offers a search for lawyers in traffic law. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verkehrsrecht (verkehrsanwaelte.de) describes itself as an association of almost 5,000 lawyers and offers a search by postcode. The title of specialist lawyer for traffic law (Fachanwalt für Verkehrsrecht) has existed since a resolution of the Satzungsversammlung (statutory assembly of the bar) of 22 November 2004.

Verkehrsopferhilfe

Guarantee fund for unidentified or uninsured vehicles, intentional use as a weapon and insurance insolvency; compensation body for accidents abroad (§ 12a PflVG, Directive 2009/103/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2021/2118). Damage reports online on the website.

WEISSER RING

The victim helpline 116 006 (number allocated in 2010 by the Bundesnetzagentur, the Federal Network Agency) is staffed by volunteer advisers. Help for victims of crime, their relatives and witnesses.

Gaps

Not checked: consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen) on road accidents, legal advice assistance and legal aid, offerings of accident-victim self-help groups.

Who is responsible
  • Deutsche Anwaltauskunft (anwaltauskunft.de)
  • Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V. (verkehrsopferhilfe.de)
  • WEISSER RING victim helpline 116 006
  • Emergency number 112 and police
Further reading
Legal expenses insurance and lawyer's costsHit and run and VerkehrsopferhilfeOverview: After a road accident

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Advice and contact points“?
Where to find advice and help nationwide after a road accident.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • 116 006: WEISSER RING victim helpline, free of charge, daily from 7 am to 10 pm (weisser-ring.de)
  • 3 years: Regular limitation period for damages claims (§ 195, § 199 Abs. 1 BGB)
What should I do first?
  • Acute: If anyone is injured, call emergency number 112 and the police.
  • Legal advice: Contact a lawyer specialising in traffic law or your legal expenses insurer.
  • Victim support: If the consequences are distressing, use the victim helpline 116 006.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • The victim helpline is aimed at people affected by crime; not every road accident is a criminal offence.
  • This page names no local advice centres because no documented information on them is available.
  • ADAC legal advice applies to members, by its own account.
Evidence
  • Deutsche Anwaltauskunft, anwaltauskunft.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verkehrsrecht, verkehrsanwaelte.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • Verkehrsopferhilfe e.V., verkehrsopferhilfe.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • WEISSER RING e. V., Opfer-Telefon, weisser-ring.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.