ACCIDENT INSURANCE
| GERMANY |
| UNFALLVERSICHERUNG ACCIDENT INSURANCE |
The Federal Republic has both a social system of statutory accident insurance and private-law accident insurance.
Social insurance against accidents is a branch of general social security . Its primary function is to provide benefits for claimants in the event of an accident at work or occupational illness . All individuals who are in an employment relationship, service relationship or vocational training relationship are insured. Others covered include homeworkers, persons carrying on a business from home and also schoolchildren and students. Accident insurance is financed by employers. The main provisions are curative treatment and forms of state occupational assistance , together with supplementary payments. The Occupational Health and Safety Agencies are the principal institutions administering this industrial injuries insurance. It is subject to statutory regulation in Book 3 of the Reich Insurance Code (Reichsversicherungsordnung); historically, it dates back to what is known as Bismarck's social security legislation .
In addition to the statutory system, there is also a private-law system of accident insurance. This is not a form of social insurance, however, but private insurance covering personal risk and based on a contractual insurance policy.
Please note: the European industrial relations glossaries were compiled between 1991 and 2003 and are not updated. For current material see the European industrial relations dictionary.