Versicherungs-Englisch: Die wichtigsten Verben & Fachbegriffe

Versicherungs-Englisch für Beruf und Praxis

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Was bedeutet Versicherungs-Englisch?

Versicherungs-Englisch umfasst die Fachsprache, die bei der Beratung von Kunden, bei der Erstellung von Angeboten, bei der Risikobewertung und bei der Bearbeitung von Schäden verwendet wird.

Viele Begriffe haben im Versicherungswesen eine sehr genaue Bedeutung. Das englische Wort claim kann beispielsweise einen Anspruch, eine Schadenmeldung oder einen Schadenfall bezeichnen. Die genaue Übersetzung hängt vom Zusammenhang ab.

Auch bei den Verben gibt es feste Verbindungen. Eine Schadenmeldung wird im Englischen normalerweise submitted, reported oder filed. Eine Police wird issued, renewed, amended oder cancelled.

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Die wichtigsten Verben im Versicherungs-Englisch

Englisches Verb	Deutsch	Typische Verwendung
to insure	versichern	to insure a building, vehicle or person
to cover	decken, absichern	The policy covers accidental damage.
to provide cover	Versicherungsschutz bieten	The insurer provides worldwide cover.
to underwrite	ein Risiko zeichnen	to underwrite a commercial risk
to assess	beurteilen, prüfen	to assess a risk or claim
to evaluate	bewerten	to evaluate the level of risk
to calculate	berechnen	to calculate a premium
to quote	ein Angebot erstellen	to quote a price or premium
to issue	ausstellen	to issue a policy or certificate
to renew	verlängern	to renew an insurance policy
to amend	ändern	to amend the terms of a policy
to cancel	kündigen, stornieren	to cancel an insurance contract
to terminate	beenden, kündigen	to terminate the agreement
to submit	einreichen	to submit a claim or document
to file a claim	einen Schaden melden	The policyholder filed a claim.
to report	melden	to report an accident or loss
to notify	benachrichtigen	to notify the insurer immediately
to investigate	untersuchen	to investigate the circumstances of a claim
to process	bearbeiten	to process an insurance claim
to handle	bearbeiten, betreuen	to handle claims or customer enquiries
to approve	genehmigen	to approve a claim or payout
to reject	ablehnen	to reject a claim
to decline	ablehnen	to decline cover or an application
to settle	regulieren, begleichen	to settle a claim
to pay out	auszahlen	The insurer paid out €20,000.
to compensate	entschädigen	to compensate the policyholder
to reimburse	erstatten	to reimburse medical expenses
to disclose	offenlegen	to disclose relevant information
to exclude	ausschließen	The policy excludes damage caused by wear and tear.
to comply with	einhalten	to comply with policy conditions or regulations

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Die wichtigsten Fachbegriffe

Englischer Begriff	Deutsch	Einfache Erklärung
insurance	Versicherung	Financial protection against a specified risk.
insurer	Versicherer	The company that provides insurance cover.
policyholder	Versicherungsnehmer	The person or company that owns the policy.
insured person	versicherte Person	The person protected by the insurance.
beneficiary	Begünstigter	The person entitled to receive insurance benefits.
insurance broker	Versicherungsmakler	An independent intermediary who arranges insurance.
insurance agent	Versicherungsvertreter	A representative who sells insurance products.
underwriter	Underwriter, Risikoprüfer	A specialist who assesses and accepts insurance risks.
claims handler	Schadenbearbeiter	A person who manages and processes claims.
loss adjuster	Schadengutachter	A specialist who investigates and evaluates losses.
insurance policy	Versicherungspolice	The document setting out the insurance contract.
insurance contract	Versicherungsvertrag	The legal agreement between insurer and policyholder.
policy conditions	Versicherungsbedingungen	The rules and requirements contained in the policy.
coverage	Versicherungsschutz, Deckung	The risks and losses protected by the policy.
scope of cover	Deckungsumfang	The extent of the protection provided.
sum insured	Versicherungssumme	The maximum amount for which an asset is insured.
limit of liability	Haftungshöchstgrenze	The maximum amount the insurer will pay.
premium	Versicherungsprämie	The amount paid for insurance cover.
deductible	Selbstbehalt	The part of a loss paid by the policyholder.
excess	Selbstbeteiligung	The British term for the amount paid by the insured.
claim	Schadenmeldung, Anspruch	A request for payment under an insurance policy.
claimant	Anspruchsteller	The person making a claim.
loss	Schaden, Verlust	A financial or material loss caused by an insured event.
damage	Beschädigung, Schaden	Physical harm to property.
insured event	Versicherungsfall	An event covered by the insurance policy.
payout	Auszahlung	Money paid by the insurer after an approved claim.
compensation	Entschädigung	Money paid to compensate for a loss.
reimbursement	Erstattung	Repayment of costs already incurred.
exclusion	Ausschluss	A risk or situation not covered by the policy.
endorsement	Nachtrag, Vertragsänderung	An official amendment to an insurance policy.
renewal	Vertragsverlängerung	The continuation of insurance for another period.
cancellation	Kündigung, Stornierung	The termination of the policy before or at renewal.
quotation	Angebot	A proposed price and set of insurance terms.
proposal form	Antragsformular	A form completed when applying for insurance.
risk assessment	Risikobewertung	The process of identifying and evaluating risk.
underwriting	Risikoprüfung	The process of deciding whether and how to insure a risk.
liability	Haftung	Legal responsibility for loss, injury or damage.
fraud	Betrug	Deliberate deception to obtain an insurance benefit.
compliance	Regelkonformität, Compliance	Following laws, regulations and internal rules.
audit	Prüfung, Audit	A formal examination of records, processes or controls.

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Nützliche Sätze für die Versicherungspraxis

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Mini Reading: A Commercial Property Claim

Greenfield Engineering operates a small production facility in Birmingham. The company has a commercial property insurance policy that covers fire, storm damage and water damage.

During a weekend, a water pipe burst in the production area. The water damaged several machines, electrical equipment and part of the warehouse floor.

On Monday morning, the operations manager discovered the damage. He immediately contacted the insurance broker and reported the incident.

The broker helped the company submit a claim. The company provided photographs, repair estimates, purchase invoices and a detailed description of the incident.

The insurer appointed a loss adjuster to investigate the damage. The loss adjuster visited the site, examined the machinery and checked whether the loss was covered by the policy.

The investigation showed that the water damage was covered. However, the policy included an excess of £2,000. The insurer therefore deducted this amount from the final settlement.

After reviewing all documents, the insurer approved the claim and paid compensation for the damaged equipment and necessary repairs.

True or False: Commercial Property Claim

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Business Dialogue: Reporting a Claim

True or False: The Business Dialogue

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Fragen für Unterricht und Gespräch

1. Which types of insurance do private customers usually need?
2. Which types of insurance are important for companies?
3. What information should a customer provide when reporting a claim?
4. Why do insurers use deductibles or excesses?
5. What does an underwriter consider before accepting a risk?
6. Why might an insurer reject a claim?
7. What makes the claims process efficient?
8. How can insurers prevent fraudulent claims?
9. What makes good customer service in the insurance industry?
10. Should customers always use an insurance broker?
11. Which insurance terms are difficult to explain to customers?
12. How is technology changing insurance and claims handling?

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Grammar in Context

1. Present Perfect

Das Present Perfect wird häufig verwendet, wenn ein Vorgang in der Vergangenheit begonnen hat und für die aktuelle Situation wichtig ist.

The customer has submitted all the documents.
(Der Kunde hat alle Unterlagen eingereicht.)

We have already assessed the claim.
(Wir haben den Schadenfall bereits geprüft.)

The insurer has requested further information.
(Der Versicherer hat weitere Informationen angefordert.)

2. Passive Voice

Das Passiv ist im Versicherungsbereich sehr wichtig, da häufig der Vorgang und nicht die handelnde Person im Mittelpunkt steht.

The policy was issued yesterday.
(Die Police wurde gestern ausgestellt.)

The claim is being processed.
(Der Schadenfall wird gerade bearbeitet.)

The payout will be made next week.
(Die Auszahlung wird nächste Woche vorgenommen.)

The claim has been approved.
(Der Schadenfall wurde genehmigt.)

3. Modal Verbs

Modalverben werden verwendet, um Pflichten, Möglichkeiten und Empfehlungen auszudrücken.

The policyholder must report the loss immediately.
(Der Versicherungsnehmer muss den Schaden sofort melden.)

The insurer may request additional evidence.
(Der Versicherer kann zusätzliche Nachweise verlangen.)

The customer should keep all damaged items.
(Der Kunde sollte alle beschädigten Gegenstände aufbewahren.)

The claim can be submitted online.
(Die Schadenmeldung kann online eingereicht werden.)

4. If-Clauses

If the claim is covered, the insurer will pay compensation.
(Wenn der Schaden gedeckt ist, zahlt der Versicherer eine Entschädigung.)

If the customer provides incomplete information, the process may be delayed.
(Wenn der Kunde unvollständige Informationen bereitstellt, kann sich die Bearbeitung verzögern.)

If the risk were lower, the premium would be cheaper.
(Wenn das Risiko geringer wäre, wäre die Prämie günstiger.)

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Typische Fehler deutscher Muttersprachler

❌ The insurance has paid the money.
✔ The insurer has paid the compensation.

Insurance bezeichnet die Versicherung als Produkt oder System. Insurer bezeichnet das Versicherungsunternehmen.

❌ The customer made an accident.
✔ The customer had an accident.

❌ We make a claim.
✔ We submit a claim.
✔ We file a claim.

❌ The insurer accepted the damage.
✔ The insurer accepted the claim.

❌ The contract was prolonged.
✔ The policy was renewed.

❌ The claim was denied because it was not insured.
✔ The claim was rejected because the loss was not covered.

❌ The customer must pay the self-participation.
✔ The customer must pay the excess.

❌ Please send us the missing proofs.
✔ Please send us the missing evidence.
✔ Please send us the supporting documents.

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Complete the Sentences

Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.

Score: 0/10

No.	Sentence	A	B
1	The policy ______ accidental damage.	covers	cover
2	The customer has ______ a claim.	submitting	submitted
3	The claim is still being ______.	process	processed
4	The insurer has requested additional ______.	documentation	documentating
5	The policyholder must ______ the loss immediately.	reported	report
6	The underwriter will ______ the level of risk.	assess	assessment
7	The policy is due for ______ next month.	renewal	renew
8	If the claim is approved, the insurer ______ pay compensation.	would	will
9	The insurer has not approved the payout ______.	already	yet
10	The customer must pay the agreed ______.	excess	excessive

Start Again

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Vocabulary Quiz 1: Important Insurance Verbs

Choose the correct meaning.

Score: 0/10

No.	Verb	A	B	C	D
1	to underwrite	to assess and accept an insurance risk	to cancel every claim	to repair damaged property	to collect unpaid taxes
2	to settle a claim	to ignore the claim	to resolve and pay an approved claim	to sell an insurance company	to increase a deductible
3	to reimburse	to refuse all communication	to cancel a policy	to repay costs already incurred	to increase the risk
4	to disclose	to provide relevant information openly	to hide all policy conditions	to reduce a payout	to inspect a building
5	to amend	to report a loss	to officially change a policy or contract	to make a payment	to investigate fraud
6	to assess	to evaluate a risk, claim or situation	to immediately approve every claim	to renew a policy automatically	to contact a customer socially
7	to decline cover	to refuse to provide insurance protection	to increase insurance protection	to reduce the policy excess	to pay a claim early
8	to issue a policy	to investigate a policyholder	to formally prepare and provide the policy	to report a damaged vehicle	to cancel the contract
9	to notify	to officially inform someone	to refuse an insurance application	to calculate a premium	to repair machinery
10	to comply with	to follow rules, conditions or regulations	to change a policy without permission	to avoid paying a claim	to report a customer complaint

Start Again

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Vocabulary Quiz 2: Insurance Terms

Choose the correct definition.

Score: 0/10

No.	Term	A	B	C	D
1	policyholder	the person or company that owns the policy	a person who repairs damaged buildings	an employee who audits a bank	a government regulator
2	excess	the total value of the policy	the amount paid by the insured before the insurer pays	the broker’s commission	an additional insurance benefit
3	underwriter	a person who reports every claim	a customer who buys insurance	a specialist who assesses and accepts insurance risks	a lawyer who represents a claimant
4	exclusion	a risk or situation not covered by the policy	an additional payout	a reduction in the premium	an automatic renewal
5	endorsement	a customer complaint	an official amendment to an insurance policy	a rejection of a claim	an insurance sales target
6	claimant	the person or organisation making a claim	the company providing reinsurance	the person calculating premiums	the person auditing accounts
7	loss adjuster	a specialist who investigates and evaluates losses	a customer who pays the premium	a person who sells company shares	an employee who renews policies automatically
8	scope of cover	the address of the insurance company	the extent of the protection provided	the number of people employed by the insurer	the date on which a claim is submitted
9	premium	the amount paid for insurance cover	the amount received after a claim	the cost of repairing an insured item	the value of the deductible
10	limit of liability	the maximum amount the insurer will pay	the minimum number of claims allowed	the length of the policy document	the number of policyholders

Start Again

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Speaking Activity: A New Insurance Claim