Life on the road is dynamic, ever changing and prone to accidents. One can never know what could happen next, and this is why car insurance is one of the most vital aspects of a car and a mandatory requirement by law. A proper car insurance not only insures the car owner but also the stranger who might be involved in the accident. Keeping that in mind, never skip taking or renewing insurance for your car, yourself and the third party.
While most car owners are insured, many are not aware of the procedures required to claim insurance in the event of an accident. We go through the steps you need to follow to properly file an insurance claim with your insurance provider and secure yourself financially.
Step 1: Know Which Kind Of Car Insurance You Have
Knowing the kind of car insurance you have will make the claim process faster and less tedious. There are two kinds of car insurances namely –
- Car Insurance Cashless Claims
- Car Insurance Reimbursement Claims
Let’s take a closer look at them.
Car Insurance Cashless Claims: The best part about these claims is that everything is looked after by the insurer. That means you don’t have to pay a dime and all repairs are taken care of by the insurer. However, this only happens once the insurer has approved your claim documents, another thing you should be aware of in cashless claims is that you will have to get your vehicle repaired at a garage specified by the insurer.
Car Insurance Reimbursement Claims: This is the most common kind of car insurance, where the claims are also looked after by the insurer. Unlike cashless claims, however, the claimant can get the car repaired at a garage of his liking but will have to pay for all the repair costs, and will have to submit the related bills to receive his reimbursement. This happens after the insurer approves of the claims.
Step 2a: Filing Cashless Car Insurance Claims
These are the steps you should follow to claim Cashless Car Insurance:
- As soon as you land in an accident and the car sustains damage or you or a third party/person sustains injuries, inform the insurance company and file an FIR in case of serious injuries or death.
- The insurer will take your vehicle to one of their network garages where a thorough assessment of the car will be done. Make sure that you don’t move the car without the approval of the insurer.
- Post the assessment the garage will provide an estimate which will be examined by the insurer. After which the insurer will provide approval to commence with the repair work.
- The garage, after the completion of the repair work, will hand the invoices to the insurance company. These and other documents submitted will again be inspected by the insurer.
- Once all evaluations and verifications are completed the insurer will start with the claim payout process. This amount will be directly paid to the garage.
- One important thing to note is that deductibles and depreciation amount will be paid out by the policyholder, i.e. the owner of the car. This amount is a small percentage of the various parts of the vehicle.
- In case the vehicle is a total loss, i.e. beyond repair, then the insurance provider hands out the car value to the customer after compensating for the depreciation incurred.
Step 2b: Filing Car Insurance Reimbursement Claims
These are the steps you should follow to file reimbursement claims.
- When involved in an accident call your insurance provider immediately or within 24 hours and file a claim over the call, or online if your insurer has the facility.
- After you have filed the claim you will receive a claim registration number, which will be used for future communications.
- As mentioned above you can take the car to a garage of your choice for repairs and get the car back in shape.
- After the repairs are done, submit the bills and required documents with the insurance provider.
- The insurance provider will examine the documents and release the reimbursement.
For both claim processes, your point of contact will be an assessor or surveyor, who looks into the claim, inspects the damage, asks relevant questions and submits their report to the insurance provider. It is very necessary for you to come out clean with your details as these will be examined and termed illegitimate if discrepancies are found. It pays to be meticulous while claiming your insurance.
Filing Claim As Third Party
Another important aspect of insurance is third party cover. While you and the insurer are first and second parties, a third person, let’s say a pedestrian or another car owner who somehow gets involved in the accident is known as a third party. If you cause injury or grievous harm to this third party or their property then he/she can claim compensation against you or vice versa.
Here’s how you can claim compensation as a third party:
- If you or your car have suffered damage due to some other vehicle, immediately note down the registration number, and details of witnesses if any and file an FIR mentioning the above details.
- Get to know the details of the insurer of the vehicle that caused you damage and make the application for a third-party claim against the vehicle owner.
- After that you have to file a case to the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal having jurisdiction over the area where the accident took place or at the place where you and the vehicle owner resides. The Claims Tribunal was created by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to provide swift compensation/justice to victims of accidents. The Tribunal works like a Civil Court, and appeals from Claim Tribunals, however, lie with high courts
- If everything is up to the mark you will receive your compensation from the vehicle owner’s insurer.
It is always important to be alert and keep oneself safe. Avoid getting involved in road rage and needless fights after an accident, as it will not result in anything and might go against any legitimate claims you may have.
FAQs
Who needs motor insurance?
As per the Motor Vehicles Act all vehicles that operate in any public space need to have a motor vehicle insurance cover. The Act goes on to say that policyholders need to have 'third party liability' motor insurance cover even with the basic insurance plans.
Why is it necessary to have motor insurance?
Motor insurance gives you peace of mind and protects you and your car from unforeseeable events which could have a detrimental effect on you and your vehicle. It also protects you from being left in the lurch if you suffer life changing injuries. So, if you don’t have insurance we suggest you immediately buy one as driving without one is a legal offence as well.
Do I receive any compensation if I cause an accident?
Under comprehensive insurance there are provisions like ‘own damages’ and ‘personal accident’ cover, which cover you and the third party as well. However, you need to make sure by going through the policy document and all their terms and conditions.
How much time does it take to receive a motor insurance insurance claim?
Although the time taken to release the payment depends on the insurer and the type of claim made, on an average it takes 14-28 days to settle a personal claim. However, since third party claims are decided by the court, this could take longer, sometimes going into years.
What are deductibles and why does the policy holder needs to bear its expense?
A part of cashless claim settlement, deductible is a part of the claim amount that the policyholder bears. This is of two types:
Compulsory Deductible: Set by the IRDA, this is a fixed value based on the type of vehicle and its engine capacity. This amount does not have any impact on the motor insurance premium and is payable at the time of claim settlement.
Voluntary Deductible: Chosen by the customer at the time of policy purchase this deductible is payable at the time of claim settlement. However, higher the deductible value, lower the insurance premium. So, if you are a veteran driver it makes sense to opt for a higher deductible value and save on insurance premiums.
Phew! It was such a relief to discover that a personal claim can be settled within just a month. My son (for no reason) ran into a tree while driving the other night and while he was totally fine, the car unfortunately suffered from moderate damages. I’ll ask him to meet an expert to deal with this matter really soon.