Books / Technical articles

Publications – Technical papers Fiala/Schramm, Insolvency risk of British life insurers when relocating to Ireland, ExpertenReport, issue 7/2019, pages 60-62 Fiala/Schramm, When are insurers no longer obliged to pay benefits or can reduce benefits?Expert Report, issue 3/2019, pages 56-58 Fiala/Schramm, No insurance coverage in case of refusal to pay protection money, ExpertenReport, issue 11/2018. Pages […]

Why do insurance brokers have only limited duties of advice and documentation?

The Higher Regional Court (OLG Hamm, decision of 5 December 2018, file no. 20 U 146/18) confirmed the dismissal of the complaint regarding the (alleged) miscounseling by an insurance broker when changing the cover of a private health insurance. The new private health insurer had later challenged the contract because of incorrect answers to the […]

Duty of documentation and burden of proof despite waiver of consulting documentation

The best proof in case of faulty advice is the advice documentation, because from this the gaps in the advice can be deduced. The few policyholders who receive expert advice (UN) often have a better chance of explaining the gaps in advice and possible mistakes. Conversely, however, insurance brokers and insurance agents also have far […]

Reversal of the burden of proof in case of inadequate documentation

The Federal Court of Justice (BGH, ruling of 13 November 2014, Ref. III ZR 544/13) has recently ruled that failure to comply with the insurance agent’s duty of documentation in accordance with § 61 Para. 1 sentence 2, § 62 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG) may lead to a shift in the burden […]

How the broker may also have duties of protection against third parties – Part 2

A lack of documentation already leads to courts deciding to the detriment of the insurance broker, even reversing the burden of proof. This problem may still have to be compensated in individual cases by a constantly uncertain witness evidence. A major problem is the so-called secondary burden of proof, which has been required by courts […]

Liability for missing documentation, even in case of correct advice: Part 1

A recent ruling of the Higher Regional Court of Cologne of 26.02.2016 (Case No. 20 U 102/15) underlines the “obligation of the broker to inform the policyholder that the intended change to private health insurance (PKV) may affect the insurance cover of his or her spouse and the financial burdens associated with it”. The spouse […]

Insurance brokers are liable for missing documentation even if they have given correct advice

– As the broker also has duties of protection against third parties –   A recent ruling of the Higher Regional Court of Cologne of 26.02.2016 (Case No. 20 U 102/15) underlines the “obligation of the broker to inform the policyholder that the intended change to private health insurance (PKV) may affect the insurance cover […]

Criminal tax fraud or money laundering with the help of foundation trustees and life insurance companies

Johannes Fiala, Peter A. Schramm It is the responsibility of the capital investor to have “tax saving models” examined independently of “fee and commission interests” before making an investment decision. Because even re – nommierte credit institutes arrange dubious investment models until today. Seit Jahren schreiben Steuerfahndungsstellen Bundesbürger wegen „Ermittlungsverfahren nach § 208 Abs. 1 […]

The English Limited Company as an alternative to the GmbH ?

RA Johannes Fiala (München) hat für experten.de eine Kurzinformation zusammengestellt. Es geht um die Frage: Warum eine Limited ? Vorteile und Risiken. Für den Finanzdienstleister ergibt sich angesichts über 20.000 Haftungsprozessen im Jahr, die Notwendigkeit die Haftung zu beschränken, so gut es geht. Typische Gestaltungsmittel sind dabei die Versicherung des Restrisikos durch eine Vermögenschadenhaftpflichtversicherung, aber […]