Damage to your own car or motorcycle caused by so-called blow-ups or an accident caused by this is only covered by fully comprehensive insurance. Motor vehicle liability insurance covers damage to other vehicles. The General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) provides information on this.
Blow-ups are road damage caused by road surfaces bulging and bursting in high heat. According to the ADAC, this can happen quickly and unexpectedly. The proof of the question of guilt could be difficult. Under certain circumstances, liability of the motorway or road maintenance department could also come into question. “But the road maintenance department would have to be proven to have failed in their duty to ensure traffic safety,” says GDV General Manager Jörg Asmussen. The hurdles for this are high and proof is difficult. If, for example, no warning sign was put up despite knowledge of the damage, this would be a conceivable case. According to the ADAC, older concrete sections are affected.
They are therefore not as deformable as asphalt roadways. Usually they do not form a closed road surface, but consist of rows of plates. Old, often repaired sections, especially joints and seams, are particularly prone to splitting open. Asphalt roads themselves are not affected. The Automobile Club advises to drive attentively, carefully and, if necessary, at a reduced speed on relevant routes and to keep more distance to those driving in front.