Versicherungs-Englisch: Schadenmeldung

Notification of Loss & Claims Filing

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Was passiert bei einer Schadenmeldung?

Eine Schadenmeldung ist die offizielle Mitteilung des Versicherungsnehmers an den Versicherer, dass ein versichertes Ereignis eingetreten ist. Im Englischen spricht man häufig von der First Notice of Loss (FNOL).

Der Versicherungsnehmer ist dazu verpflichtet, alle relevanten Fakten wahrheitsgemäß offenzulegen. Dazu gehören:

• Datum, Uhrzeit und Ort des Vorfalls
• Die vermutete Ursache (z. B. Kurzschluss, Sturm, Diebstahl)
• Eine detaillierte Beschreibung des Ausmaßes (z. B. zerstörte Maschinen, Betriebsstillstand)
• Erste Maßnahmen zur Schadensminimierung (z. B. Notfallreparaturen)

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Die wichtigsten Fachbegriffe

Englischer Begriff	Deutsch	Einfache Erklärung
to file a claim	einen Schaden melden / einreichen	To formally request compensation from an insurance company.
notification of loss	Schadenanzeige, Schadenmeldung	The official notice given to an insurer about a loss.
first notice of loss (FNOL)	Erstschadenmeldung	The very first informational report made following an accident.
claim form	Schadenformular	A document that you fill in to provide details about a loss.
claim number	Schadennummer	A unique registration number assigned to a specific claim.
date of loss	Schadentag, Schadenzeitpunkt	The exact date on which the damaging event occurred.
cause of loss	Schadenursache	The specific reason or peril that triggered the damage.
extent of damage	Schadensausmaß	The physical or financial scale of the destruction.
property damage	Sachschaden	Physical harm to tangible structures or items.
bodily injury	Personenschaden	Physical harm, sickness, or disease sustained by a person.
third-party liability	Haftpflicht gegenüber Dritten	Legal responsibility for damage caused to other people.
loss report	Schadenbericht	A detailed summary describing the accident and impact.
supporting evidence	Beweismaterial, Belege	Documents, photos, or items that prove the claim is genuine.
estimate / quotation	Kostenvoranschlag	A document showing the expected cost of repairs.
loss mitigation	Schadenminderung	Steps taken by the insured to prevent further damage.
circumstances	Begleitstände, Hergang	The facts and conditions surrounding the event.
police report	Polizeibericht	An official document prepared by police officers at a scene.
affected party	geschädigte Partei	The person or company that suffered the loss.
claimant	Anspruchsteller, Geschädigter	A person or organization making a formal claim.
loss location	Schadenort	The geographical place where the accident happened.

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Wichtige Verben für die Schadenmeldung

Verb	Deutsch	Typische Verbindung
to notify	benachrichtigen, melden	to notify the insurer immediately
to report	melden, berichten	to report an incident to the police
to submit	einreichen, übermitteln	to submit supporting documentation
to occur	sich ereignen, eintreffen	the loss occurred during the weekend
to sustain	erleiden (z. B. Schaden)	the building sustained heavy structural damage
to cause	verursachen	the fire was caused by an electrical defect
to estimate	schätzen	to estimate the total repair costs
to document	dokumentieren	to document the scene with photographs
to mitigate	mindern, verringern	to mitigate the loss by clearing the water
to assign	zuweisen	to assign a reference number to the file
to claim	fordern, geltend machen	to claim compensation for the lost stock
to verify	überprüfen, bestätigen	to verify the date and time of the incident

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Nützliche Sätze für die Versicherungspraxis

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Mini Reading: Notification of a Warehouse Fire

On Thursday evening, a severe incident occurred at the main distribution centre of Global Logistics GmbH in Hamburg. At around 11:30 PM, the automatic fire alarm system alerted the local fire brigade. The fire started in the loading bay and quickly spread to Section B of the warehouse, which contains electronic components.

Fortunately, all night-shift employees evacuated the building safely, so no bodily injury was sustained. The fire brigade managed to extinguish the flames within three hours. However, the building sustained extensive property damage, and a large portion of the stored stock was completely destroyed by smoke and water.

The next morning, the risk manager contacted their insurance broker to notify the insurer about the loss. The broker advised the manager to document the scene immediately. The company took photographs of the debris and separated the undamaged goods to fulfill their loss mitigation duty.

The broker filled out the first notice of loss form online and submitted the initial details. The insurance company immediately registered the case and assigned a claim number. The claims handler requested a complete list of the destroyed items, the original purchase invoices, and a copy of the official police report to verify the cause of loss.

Because the facility cannot operate normally, Global Logistics GmbH will also file a business interruption claim. A corporate loss adjuster is scheduled to inspect the location next Tuesday to estimate the total financial impact.

True or False: Notification of a Warehouse Fire

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Business Dialogue: Reporting the Incident

True or False: The Claims Dialogue

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Fragen für Unterricht und Gespräch

1. What is the purpose of a "First Notice of Loss" (FNOL)?
2. Why is it crucial to notify the insurance company immediately after an incident?
3. What information must be included in a standard claim form?
4. What does the term "loss mitigation" mean, and what are typical examples?
5. What kinds of supporting evidence can a company submit to prove its loss?
6. What is the difference between a property damage claim and a third-party liability claim?
7. Why does an insurer assign a unique claim number to every single notification?
8. When is a copy of an official police report required by a claims handler?

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Grammar in Context

1. Past Simple

Das Past Simple wird genutzt, um abgeschlossene Aktionen und historische Fakten des Schadensereignisses zu beschreiben (Wann passierte es? Was war die Ursache?).

The water pipe burst at midnight. (Das Wasserrohr platzte um Mitternacht.)
The fire brigade arrived within ten minutes. (Die Feuerwehr traf innerhalb von zehn Minuten ein.)

2. Present Perfect

Das Present Perfect beschreibt Aktionen, die in der Vergangenheit begonnen haben, deren Resultate aber für die Gegenwart der Schadenbearbeitung wichtig sind.

We have already submitted the digital claim form. (Wir haben das digitale Schadenformular bereits übermittelt.)
The claims handler has assigned a new reference number. (Der Schadensachbearbeiter hat eine neue Schadennummer vergeben.)

3. Passive Voice (Passiv)

Im Versicherungswesen wird das Passiv sehr häufig genutzt, wenn die Aktion wichtiger ist als die ausführende Person oder Institution.

The building was completely destroyed by the fire. (Das Gebäude wurde durch das Feuer vollständig zerstört.)
Supporting evidence is required to process the payment. (Belegmaterial ist erforderlich, um die Auszahlung zu bearbeiten.)

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Typische Fehler deutscher Muttersprachler

❌ We must report the damage to the insurance actual.
✔ We must report the loss to the insurer immediately.

❌ I made a claim notification per telephone.
✔ I filed a claim by telephone. / I notified the loss by phone.

❌ Nobody was wounded in the warehouse fire.
✔ No bodily injuries were sustained in the warehouse fire. / Nobody was injured.

❌ The insurance handler gave us a damage number.
✔ The claims handler assigned a claim number to us.

❌ We must hold the damage small.
✔ We must mitigate the loss. / We have a duty to minimize the damage.

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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 company needs to ______ a claim with the insurer.	file	filing
2	The technical error ______ a severe shortcut in the network.	caused	causes
3	Has the broker already ______ the supporting evidence?	submitting	submitted
4	We received a unique claim ______ for our records.	number	amount
5	The policyholder has a duty to ______ the financial loss.	mitigation	mitigate
6	Fortunately, no bodily ______ were reported.	injuries	injurying
7	The incident ______ during the night shift.	occurred	occurrence
8	A corporate loss adjuster will ______ the warehouse.	inspecting	inspect
9	The facility sustained severe property ______.	damages	damage
10	Please send us a copy of the official police ______.	report	reporting

Start Again

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Vocabulary Quiz 1: Loss Notification

Choose the correct definition.

Score: 0/10

No.	Term	A	B	C	D
1	loss mitigation	steps taken to minimize further damage	the total cost of an insurance premium	a cancellation of the policy contract	the legal fine paid to the police
2	to file a claim	to delete a customer file	to formally submit a request for compensation	to sign a new contract	to calculate the annual tax
3	bodily injury	damage done to electronic devices	a financial drop in company stock	physical harm or sickness sustained by a human	a technical failure in a machine
4	claim number	a unique code assigned to register a specific claim	the phone number of the insurance company	the number of accidents in one year	the age of the insured building
5	cause of loss	the market value of the company	the reason or peril that triggered the incident	the location of the local fire station	the name of the corporate broker
6	supporting evidence	documentation that proves the reality and value of a claim	a list of future marketing plans	the signature of the CEO on a policy	a training guide for new risk engineers
7	claimant	the person or entity making a formal claim for compensation	a lawyer representing the insurance company	a judge working in a commercial court	a fire department inspector
8	FNOL	Final Notice of Legal Litigation	First Notice of Loss	Financial Network Operations Level	Fixed Number of Local Officers
9	extent of damage	the physical or financial scale of the loss	the duration of the insurance contract	the legal text in the exclusions list	the location of the head office
10	property damage	physical destruction or harm to tangible objects	an injury sustained by an executive manager	a loss of digital files without physical impact	the monthly rental fee for a warehouse

Start Again

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Vocabulary Quiz 2: Claims Process Context

Choose the correct answer.

Score: 0/10

No.	Question	A	B	C	D
1	Who processes the incoming loss notifications?	the claims handler	the marketing assistant	the HR administrator	the sales agent
2	What is a quotation or estimate used for?	to show the expected costs of repair	to cancel the policy text	to describe employee working hours	to verify the name of the driver
3	What does "date of loss" mean?	the day the policy expires	the exact day the damaging event happened	the birthday of the claimant	the day the premium is billed
4	Which document is filled in during an emergency at a public road?	a police report	a human resource chart	a stock exchange listing	a credit card bill
5	What is third-party liability?	responsibility for damages caused to external parties	an internal insurance premium index	the cost of purchasing warehouse tools	the name of the third underwriter
6	What does "to settle a claim" mean?	to finalize the claim and pay compensation	to submit the first notification form	to increase the premium rate	to inspect a factory location
7	What is a business interruption claim?	a claim for financial losses due to a temporary operational stop	a regular tax report for corporate clients	a cancellation notice sent by the manager	a formal job application for brokers
8	What is the "loss location"?	the geographical place where the loss occurred	the address of the insurance head office	the coordinate of the broker's bank	the nearest police office
9	Why are photographs useful in a claim report?	they serve as visual supporting evidence	they are used for social media posts	they reduce the premium rate automatically	they train the risk manager's staff
10	What is a corporate loss adjuster?	a specialist who evaluates the true scale of large losses	a manager who hires warehouse workers	a software program for online claims filing	a banker who gives business credits

Start Again

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Speaking Activity: Reporting a Claim to a Broker