I am Matthias Kiwitt, an independent, certified car damage assessor – in German a Kfz-Sachverständiger – based in Dreieich, just south of Frankfurt am Main. I work for you, not for an insurance company, and I speak English. If you have had an accident in Germany and the paperwork, the vocabulary and the phone calls feel like a second problem on top of the first one, this is the page for you. I inspect your vehicle wherever it happens to be and deliver the report in 24–48 h. For the innocent party it is usually free of charge.*
* In a non-fault accident the at-fault party's liability insurer usually covers the full cost of the report. More under Costs.
* In a non-fault accident the at-fault party's liability insurer usually pays the cost of the report.
If you have recently moved to Frankfurt for the ECB, a bank, a law firm or an international company, the German motor claims system probably works differently from what you are used to at home. The single most useful thing to understand is this: after an accident that was not your fault, German law gives you the right to appoint your own assessor. This is called freie Gutachterwahl – free choice of assessor. It is your right, not a favour, and nobody can take it away from you.
What normally happens instead is that the other party's insurer calls you within hours of the accident, sounds very helpful, and announces that "our assessor" will come and look at your car. You are not obliged to accept that person. Their assessor is instructed and paid by the insurer, and the insurer's interest is to keep the payout low. That is not dishonest, it is simply whose side they are on. It just happens not to be yours.
The cost argument that people worry about usually does not apply either. In a non-fault accident the at-fault party's liability insurer normally has to cover the cost of the report, including the report of the assessor you chose yourself. So in the typical case you get an independent expert on your side without paying for it out of your own pocket.
And a proper independent report protects considerably more than the obvious repair bill. A complete German claim can include several items that are easy to lose if nobody writes them down properly:
In short: the report is the foundation of everything that follows. If it is thin, everything built on top of it is thin. That is why it is worth having it written by somebody who works for you.
From a bumper scrape in a Frankfurt car park to a valuation of a classic car or a company fleet. The detail pages linked below are written in German – just call or email if you would prefer the explanation in English.
The full independent report after a collision – repair costs, diminished value, loss of use and residual value, ready to submit to the insurer.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward workspace_premiumCondition grading and market valuation for classic cars – the basis for specialist insurance cover, a sale or an agreed value policy.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward monitoringNeutral market value for transfers from a company to a private owner, for divorce settlements, inheritance matters or a private sale.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward verifiedBefore you buy a used car in Germany: an independent technical check of condition, history and previous accident damage, plus an honest opinion on the asking price.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward electric_carBEV, PHEV and HEV assessed with a formal high-voltage qualification – battery, HV system and charging technology judged properly, not written off by default.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward local_shippingVans, panel vans, trucks above and below 3.5 t, trailers and special bodies – chassis and body recorded and valued separately.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward two_wheelerDamage and valuation reports for motorcycles and scooters, including protective gear and aftermarket parts that are frequently forgotten in a claim.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward pedal_bikeCycling is how a lot of people get around Frankfurt – and a damaged e-bike or cargo bike is worth a proper report, not a shrug.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward rv_hookupBase vehicle and living area assessed together – including conversions, fitted furniture, damp damage and hail damage.
Details (page in German) arrow_forward garageFor companies with a vehicle fleet: mobile inspection on your premises, minimal downtime, and claims handled either through a specialist lawyer or through your existing process.
Details (page in German) arrow_forwardThree steps, and you only have to do the first one. I work mobile, so you do not need to drive a damaged vehicle anywhere just to have it looked at.
Call me, send an email or use the damage report form. Tell me briefly what happened, where the vehicle is and whether the accident was your fault. You do not need to have any documents ready – if you have the other driver's details or a police reference, bring them, but we can start without.
I come to you – your home, your office car park, the workshop or the recovery yard – normally at short notice. The inspection takes photographs, measurements and a full record of the damage, and I explain in English what I am finding and what it means for your claim.
The finished report follows within 24–48 h and goes to you, your insurer or your lawyer as you prefer. If you want the claim handled end to end, I work with a lawyer specialising in German traffic law who pursues it for you.
I am based in Dreieich and cover Frankfurt am Main, Offenbach, Neu-Isenburg, Langen, Dreieich, Darmstadt, Egelsbach, Rodgau, Rödermark and the wider Rhine-Main area. Frankfurt itself – including Sachsenhausen, Niederrad, the Westend and the banking quarter – is roughly 25 minutes away, which is why appointments in the city can usually be arranged quickly and at a time that fits around your working day.
If you live slightly outside this list, ask anyway. The Rhine-Main region is compact and a short extra drive is rarely a problem.
I am a certified motor vehicle assessor, qualified through the SFV – Sachverständigenfachverband für KFZ und Bau e. V., the German professional association for vehicle and construction assessors. I hold a high-voltage qualification, which allows me to inspect and assess electric and hybrid vehicles safely and competently rather than passing them on to somebody else.
Behind that sit more than 15 years of professional experience in the automotive industry and over 16 years of personal involvement in motorsport. Motorsport in particular teaches you to read damage: what a component looks like when it has taken a real impact, and what is merely cosmetic. That instinct is useful every single time I open a bonnet.
I speak German and English. In practice that means you can explain your situation, ask questions and follow the whole process in English, without having to translate technical vocabulary you never expected to need.
Transparent, explained in advance, no surprises.
In a non-fault accident the at-fault party's liability insurer usually covers the full cost of the report*. In practice that means the report costs you nothing – which is precisely why there is no financial reason to accept the insurer's own assessor.
For everything outside a liability claim – valuations, classic car reports, pre-purchase inspections or comprehensive-cover (Kasko) cases – you receive a transparent quote in advance, based on the vehicle class and the scope of the work. You will always know the price before I start.
* Reimbursement requires a genuinely non-fault accident and a corresponding liability position. Where blame is shared, costs are reimbursed proportionally. I will only confirm this bindingly once I know the specific circumstances of your case.
* Reimbursement by the other party's insurer requires a non-fault accident and a corresponding liability position.
Tell me what happened – in English – and you will get a clear answer on what to do next, plus an inspection appointment at short notice. No obligation, and in a non-fault case usually no cost to you.