Understand French insurance terms
For foreigners, French bureaucracy and legal contracts can represente an impenetrable nebula with obscure terminology. To guide you towards clearer lands, Living in Provence and Eurosud Swaton, insurance company in Southern France, propose a short but helpful glossary to understand insurance terms in French.
French insurance terms :
Acompte : deposit. A percentage of the total value of the contract.
Assitance : when you subscribe a car insurance, it can provide a towing service to transport your damaged car.
Constat amiable d’accident : motor accident report sheet. You had a car accident involving another driver ? You then need to fill the Constat amiable d’accident with the other driver to explain what happened exactly.
Courtier : a broker working with many other companies and selling their policies.
Déclaration de vol : in case you have been robbed, you need to go to the police station to declare the robbery and to fill the form called « Déclaration de vol ». This form is compulsory if you want to claim your insurance.
Faute grave : gross negligence
Franchise : deductible or excess
Assurance au tiers : insurance, espacially car insurance, covering third pary only.
Need help understanding other words and terminology? Post a comment and we will do our best to help you.