Raiffeisen boss has to pay crash costs himself

Erwin Hameseder, head of the Raiffeisen-Holding Lower Austria-Vienna will have to pay himself for the damage of the car accident he caused with his Porsche 911 on 3 April. An expert report stated that there was a cause and effect relationship between tyres and the accident.

The spokesperson of Raiffeisen Insurance told the Austria Press Agency that the insurance would not pay for the accident. Mr Hameseder, who was driving a car with summer tyres during snowfall, accepts this decision.

Raiffeisen Insurance is a subsidy of Uniqa, another insurance company, of which  Mr Hameseder is the second vice chairperson of the board.

Mr Hameseder said that the insurance company applied strict standards due to his position in the board. He thinks it is absurd that he could have used his position in the board.

Even though the roads were not covered in snow, “the case was nevertheless clear”. The accident caused damage of 39,000 Euros, but no third party was involved.

The obligation to have winter tyres in Austria is valid between 1 November and 15 April. Drivers have to make sure that they drive cars with winter tyres or have snow chains fixed on at least two front wheels.