Motor Vehicle Insurance in India is mandatory under the Motor Vehicle Act 1988. Motor vehicle insurance covers the third-party risk arising from the use of a motor vehicle, as well as the possibility of vehicle damage. Indians don’t care about Life Insurance Plan and Medical Insurance plans, but Motor Vehicle Insurance is a more important issue. If someone is injured in an accident without insurance, it will be treated as a crime.
Everyone has their own car these days. The risk is high, so motor insurance companies are expanding day by day. Claims have also increased. However, policyholders often don’t know how to obtain their policies. Car Insurance Claim Procedure
We will be explaining how to claim your car insurance policy. This will be very helpful.
How to file a claim for your Car Insurance Claim
We will learn the procedure step-by-step so it is very simple.
For own-damage claims: If your car met with an accident, you should follow these steps to claim for damages:
- Inform the insurance provider First, you must inform your insurer as soon as possible. After that, you will need to fill out a claim form and provide the necessary documents before the car is sent to the garage. You can find the forms on the websites for insurance providers. The policies will contain detailed information about the policies and guidelines that most insurers adhere to.
- Lodge FIR – In some cases, First Information Report (FIR) is required so lodge FIR to the nearest police station for the safer side. It is not mandatory to file FIR for claims settlements, but it’s a good idea. It depends on what condition it is.
- Assess the damage – Once you inform to insurance service provider, they will appoint a surveyor who will assess / evaluate the damage of your vehicle. The surveyor will prepare a report that he will send to the insurance company. A copy of the report will be sent to you. Once that is done, you can take your vehicle to the nearest garage for repairs.
- Claim settlement – As soon as insurance company receives survey report, they will analyze the claim request and sends an approval to the garage. The garage will need to give an estimate of the cost and the timeline for repairs. For a complete view of the damage to the vehicle and how the repairs are proceeding, the insurer will contact the network garage.
Once the work has been completed, you’ll need to collect the bills and other documents from the garage and send them to the surveyor. Surveyor will forward it to insurance company.
Once all documentation is completed, your insurance provider will reimburse any outstanding bills. You should also keep in mind that your policy will specify the mandatory deductible and variable-deductible components. You can drive again once your claim has been settled and your car is safe.
Third party car insurance claim procedure: -If your accident causes property damage or injury to another person, you should follow these steps:
- Talk to an insurance agent – First, you need to inform your service provider immediately. You should not make any financial commitments.
- Lodge FIR – Lodge FIR at the nearest police station and keep a copy of the FIR for future reference as well.
- Document outlining the policy for sharing – You should mandatorily share a copy of your car insurance policy with the third-party, so that they can raise a claim on it.
- Motor Tribunal – Claim – According to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, third-party liability claims are raised at the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). The third-party can bring a claim at any tribunal located near his/her home or yours.
After reviewing all documents, the insurer will review them and determine the severity of the accident. If the assessment is satisfactory, they will assign a lawyer to you.
If you are ordered by the court to pay damages to the third person, the insurance company will pay the amount directly to the third person.
It is best to try and resolve the issue without resorting to the tribunal.
For theft claimsFollow the steps below if you suspect that your car was stolen.
- Lodge FIR – Lodge FIR at the nearest police station and keep a copy of the FIR for future reference as well.
- Talk to an insurance company – You should inform to your service provider at the earliest with a copy of FIR
- After you have received the police station’s final report, take a copy and send it to your insurance company. An investigator will be assigned by the insurance company. The investigator will complete the report and send it to the insurance company. Once this is complete, send the RC Book of the stolen vehicle to the insurance company.
- Submit the duplicate keys for the car, as well as the subrogation letter. A notarized indemnity must be submitted on a stamped paper.
- After all formalities have been completed, the insurance company will pay the claim.
Without knowing the details of how to file a car insurance claim, many people end up paying out of their pockets. The customer service network of all insurance providers is excellent and the teams are skilled and cooperative. You should communicate with your insurer whenever possible.
I wish you didn’t have to go through these procedures. I wish that you would have a Safe Drive. Someone is waiting to help you.
