diff --git a/collada_urdf/include/collada_urdf/ColladaWriter.h b/collada_urdf/include/collada_urdf/ColladaWriter.h
index dac9890..8b4c856 100644
--- a/collada_urdf/include/collada_urdf/ColladaWriter.h
+++ b/collada_urdf/include/collada_urdf/ColladaWriter.h
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ public:
      *
      * \param documentName The filename of the document to write to
      * \return True if the file was successfully written
+     * \throws ColladaWriterException if an error occurred writing the COLLADA file
      */
-    bool writeDocument(std::string const& documentName);
+    void writeDocument(std::string const& documentName);
 
 protected:
     virtual void handleError(daeString msg);
diff --git a/collada_urdf/src/ColladaWriter.cpp b/collada_urdf/src/ColladaWriter.cpp
index 0981b40..a7f82e1 100644
--- a/collada_urdf/src/ColladaWriter.cpp
+++ b/collada_urdf/src/ColladaWriter.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ ColladaWriter::ColladaWriter(shared_ptr<urdf::Model> robot, string const& source
 {
 }
 
-bool ColladaWriter::writeDocument(string const& documentName) {
+void ColladaWriter::writeDocument(string const& documentName) {
     initDocument(documentName);
 
     SCENE scene = createScene();
@@ -83,8 +83,6 @@ bool ColladaWriter::writeDocument(string const& documentName) {
     addBindings(scene);
 
     collada_->writeAll();
-
-    return true;
 }
 
 ColladaWriter::~ColladaWriter() {
diff --git a/collada_urdf/test/test_collada_writer.cpp b/collada_urdf/test/test_collada_writer.cpp
index 74c4670..0f427e8 100644
--- a/collada_urdf/test/test_collada_writer.cpp
+++ b/collada_urdf/test/test_collada_writer.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
 
 TEST(collada_urdf, collada_writer_writes)
 {
-    ASSERT_TRUE(collada_urdf::ColladaWriter("test/pr2.urdf").writeDocument("test/pr2.dae"));
+    // An exception will be thrown on any error opening the URDF or writing the COLLADA file
+    collada_urdf::ColladaWriter("test/pr2.urdf").writeDocument("test/pr2.dae");
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {