Insurance law (private insurance law) includes all legal norms, provisions and regulations that relate to the insurance industry. Private insurance law differs from social insurance law in particular in that the private insurance relationship is not established directly by law, but rather only through the conclusion of a private law contract. This can be done voluntarily or because of a legal obligation. Even with the legal obligation for the policyholder to take out insurance, the insurance relationship only arises when the insurance contract is concluded and not directly by law (as in social security law).

Zu den wichtigsten Unterschieden zum Sozialversicherungsrecht zählen somit:

  • the creation of the insurance relationship (insurance contract)
  • the scope of the insured risks (all insured risks)
  • the legal form (private and public VU)
  • the assessment of contributions/performance (according to risk and performance / freely agreed)
  • the legal basis (private law laws)
  • the legal process (civil court)

Vorschriften zum Versicherungsrecht befinden sich in

  • Versicherungsvertragsgesetz (VVG)
  • Versicherungsaufsichtsgesetz (VAG)
  • Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG)
  • Kfz-Pflichtversicherungsordnung (KfzPflVO
  • Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB)
  • BGB (§§ 312b,330, 1045 BGB)
  • ZPO §§ 851c, 851d  ZPO (Sondergerichtstandort: § 215 VVG)
  • Rom I Verordnung (internationales Privatversicherungsrecht)

The Insurance Contract Act represents the most important legal source of insurance law. It regulates the legal relationship between the insurer and the policyholder as well as other beneficiaries of the insurance contract.

Insurance law recognizes different types of insurance contracts.

Das VVG teilt diese anhand von Versicherungszweigen auf und nennt in seinem zweiten Teil die:

  • Haftpflichtversicherug
  • Rechtschutzversicherung
  • Transportversicherug
  • Gebäudefeuerversicherung
  • Lebensversicherung
  • Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung
  • Unfallversicherung
  • Krankenversicherung

Abschluss

On the following pages we will try to provide you with as much information as possible about general contract law.

We also recommend the following pages on the subject of insurance law: