[Evaluation of eyeglasses in private accident insurance]. / Die Bewertung der Brille in der Privaten Unfallversicherung.

In a ruling issued on 27 April 1983 the Bundesgerichtshof (the supreme court of the Federal Republic of Germany) clarified the question as to the extent to which the need for spectacles has to be taken into consideration in private accident insurance. Spectacles are not a prosthesis; the diminution of usability is assessed according to the wearer's visual acuity with correction; the need for spectacles has to be taken into account when determining the diminution of usability (as a pre-existent infirmity or as an injury caused by an accident). Concerning the premium surcharges and rebates demanded, which were not laid down by the BGH, the authors, continuing earlier discussions with a team from the German association of private accident insurers, came to the following agreements, which are recommended for general use: lower and medium grades of correction up to +10 D and -13 D (in cylindrical glasses in the meridian with higher refraction) are to be assessed as a 3% disablement; where the degree of correction is higher, i.e., more than +10 D and -13 D, the degree of disablement is assessed at 5%.

[Assessment of eye damage for private accident insurance]. / Die Bewertung von Augenschäden in der privaten Unfallversicherung.

Together with a team from the HUK association (an association of liability, accident, transport and legal protection insurance-companies) the authors discussed a new assessment table for diminution of vision and have recommended its use by private accident insurance companies. The table was worked out on the basis of guidelines issued by the Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft in 1981. In cases of bilateral eye damage the total extent of the disability - based on the specific diminution of usability of each eye - should be calculated according to the conditions of the insurance companies and not by a medical expert. Further proposals for the assessment of visual field defects and other kinds of eye damage covered by private accident insurance were also brought into line with the recommendations issued by the Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft in 1981.

[Rehabilitation into employability after traumatic loss of an eye (author's transl)]. / Die berufliche Rehabilitation nach traumatischem Verlust eines Auges

After the loss of an eye re-education can become either imperative according to present law or because of medical reasons. The insurer's attention should be drawn to these facts very early, perhaps already by the accident report, to avoid unnecessary long times of incapacity for work.

[To the definition of the reduction of ability in the law of incometax (author's transl)]. / Zum Begriff der Körperbehinderung im Einkommensteuergesetz 1975

Out of jurisdiction and commentaries by the Federal minister of finance and the minister of labour and social affairs it is proved, that the characteristic of externally recognizable, permanent loss of bodily mobility is existent not only for one-eyedness but as well as for reduction of visual acuity, provided (reduction of ability) of 25% or more is present. This statement is good for reductions of Personal income tax as well as Wage tax. The estimation of the degree of disability is to be made according to "leads on the medical expertise on the state provision for the deserving", Edition 1973.