According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988-89, it is mandatory to have a car insurance policy that covers third-party liability in India. Hence, if you own a car, then you need car insurance. Apart from the mandatory third-party policy, insurers offer a comprehensive policy that covers third-party liability and own damage cover, including physical injuries and death. Hence, the coverage depends on the type of policy purchased by you. Today, we will talk about the steps that you can follow to claim the insurance for your car, regardless of the type of policy.
How to Claim Insurance for Your Car?
If you face a contingency that is covered under your car insurance policy, then you are entitled to raise a car insurance claim. This allows you to get compensated for the financial loss suffered by you. Broadly, four wheeler insurance can be divided into three types:
- Third-party claims
- Own-damage claims
- Car theft
The process of claiming car insurance varies with the type of claim. Let us find out how.
1. Third-Party Claims
You are eligible to file a third-party claim if your car gets into an accident or a collision leading to any damage to third-party property or person or the death of a third-party person. The claim process in such claims is as follows:
- As soon as the accident or mishap occurs, file a police FIR
- Call your insurer’s claim helpline number and inform them of your claim
- The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal which is authorized to make a judgment on road accidents will assess the third-party damage and determine the compensation
- The insurer, on receiving the orders from the tribunal pays the compensation to the said third-party
2. Own-Damage Claims
In an accident or a collision, your vehicle can get damaged too. If you have an own-damage cover, then you can file a claim for reimbursement of the costs. There are two types of own-damage claims, as explained below:
- Cashless Own-Damage Claims
Most insurers offer a cashless settlement of claims for insurance holders who get the damaged car repaired at a garage from the pre-approved list of garages in the network of the insurer. In these cases, the insurance company directly settles the claim with the garage. Here is a quick look at the process:
- As soon as your car meets with an accident or collision and suffers damage, inform your insurer about it
- If the insurer offers a cashless claim settlement, then you will be provided with a list of network garages that you can take your car to for repairs. If the car is not in a condition to be driven to the garage, then some insurers might arrange for towing services too (free or paid)
- Once at the garage, the insurer will send a surveyor to assess the damage and claim amount
- The surveyor will submit a claim report to the insurance company
- The insurance company will assess the report and accept or reject the claim
- On being approved, the repairs will be started by the garage
- The insurer will pay the garage directly and you can drive your car home once the repairs are done
- Reimbursement-based Own-Damage Claims
If you meet with an accident or a collision at a place where there are no network garages available and decide to get your vehicle repaired at a non-networked garage, then you will have to file a reimbursement claim for own-damage. This means that you will have to pay for the repairs from your pocket and raise a claim subsequently by submitting the bills. Here is the process:
- As soon as your car meets with an accident or collision and suffers damage, inform your insurer about it
- Take the car to any garage for repairs
- Once at the garage, the insurer will send a surveyor to assess the damage and claim amount
- The surveyor will submit a claim report to the insurance company
- The garage repairs the car, and you pay from your pocket
- After the car is repaired, submit the bills to the insurer along with a claim form
- The insurer will check the bills and claim form and reimburse the expenses
3. Theft Claims
In the unfortunate event of your car being stolen, you can raise a theft claim with the insurance company. Here is the process:
- As soon as you realize that your car has been stolen, inform the insurer about it and register the claim
- File a First Information Report (FIR) with the police station of the area from where the car was stolen
- If the police cannot find your car, they will issue a non-traceable certificate
- Submit this certificate, along with the claim form, to the insurer. You will also have to submit all the sets of car keys for processing the claim
- The insurer will reimburse the Insured Declared Value or IDV based on the police report
Documents for the claims process
When you register a car insurance claim, the insurer can ask you to submit some of these documents:
- Certificate of Insurance
- Police FIR for theft and third-party claims
- Driving License
- RC book
- Completed and signed claim form
- Original bills for reimbursement claims
- Photo-ID proof of the policyholder
Summing Up
Remember, there are many aspects that need to be considered while registering a claim. So, while compulsory deductible and depreciation can lead to a lower amount being reimbursed as compared to the cost of repairs, if you have purchased add-ons like the zero-depreciation cover, the amount can be higher. Hence, ensure that you know the claim amount that you are entitled to before registering it. Good Luck!
