The article will take you through your journey of making a claim; learn about claims, their process, how to file, the documents required, and precautions so that the car insurance claim is not rejected.
What is a car insurance claim?
Insuring vehicles is mandatory in India. It is the greatest blessing if your car is involved in an accident, theft, or other damage. In such circumstances, one should and has the right to claim the insurance policy. Some companies like Acko car insurance renewal give the benefit of continuing the policy in no time from your smartphone.
Types of insurance claims
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Third-party claim
This claim is made when you hit a third-party vehicle or claimed by someone when they hit your car. You have to lodge an FIR plus and inform the insurance company.
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Own damage claim
This claim is made when your vehicle is damaged due to an accident or any other reason. The insured must inform the insurance company about it as soon as possible and keep all the documents ready.
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Theft claim
If the car is stolen, FIR should be lodged, and the insurance company should be informed.
Types of the claim process
There are two ways through which a claim can be taken.
Cashless claims
Cashless means the insured doesn’t have to pay any expense out of pocket. The insurance company directly settles the expense with the network garages. The insured need not worry financially.
Reimbursement claim
In such cases, the insured pays for all the damages at his choice of garage. The insurance company later reimburses it after submitting valid bills and repair receipts by the insured.
How to file cashless claims
- Raise your claim through the insurance company’s website, app, or toll-free number.
- Upload necessary documents or handle them to the surveyor.
- Some companies like Acko car insurance offer a pickup service of your vehicle to the network garage.
- The surveyor will inspect the damaged vehicle and check the form filled out by the insured.
- If there is no mismatch between the form filled and the actual damages, he may give a green flag, and repair work may start.
- But if there is a mismatch between the form and the actual damages, the surveyor may reject the claim, or he may delay the approval.
- If the claim is genuine, the insurance company bears all the expenses, and the settlement is done directly with the network garage.
- The insured needs to pay only for the compulsory file charges.
- The surveyor checks if all the repair work has been done correctly and files a report accordingly.
- Some companies offer a drop facility for your vehicle at your doorstep.
How to file reimbursement claims
- Raise your claim through the insurance company’s website, app, or toll-free number.
- Upload necessary documents or handle them to the surveyor.
- The insured may take the damaged vehicle to the garage of their choice, not necessarily to the network garages.
- The surveyor will investigate the damaged vehicle, plus the form filled out by the insured.
- The repair work starts, and the insured bears all the costs.
- Submit all the valid bills and receipts to the insurance company.
- The surveyor investigates the whole vehicle and the filled form.
- If the claim is approved, the reimbursement process is initiated.
Documents required for making an accident claim
A copy of the documents below is required when making a claim.
- Filled claim form
- FIR copy
- Original bills and receipts
- Insurance policy document
- Registration certificate
- Driving license
- Tax receipts
Documents required for making a third-party claim
A copy of the documents below is required when making a claim.
- Claim assessment form
- FIR copy
- Identity proof or driving license
- Registration certificate
Documents required in case of theft
- Claim form
- FIR copy
- Theft declaration from RTO
- Insurance policy document
- Previous policy details
- Items such as duplicate keys, warranty cards, related booklets
Reasons for claim rejection
Drink and drive case
Drinking and driving are illegal and not covered under the insurance policy. Your claim can be rejected if you have an accident while drinking and driving.
An expired or invalid insurance policy document.
If your car insurance policy has expired and you are still making a claim, your claim can be rejected. Hence car insurance renewal should always be done on time.
Driving without or invalid driving license
Your claim can be rejected if you drive without a driving license or an invalid one.
Coverage exclusions
Your claim won’t go through if you have availed only third-party liability cover and claim for your damages.
Incomplete documents
If the insured cannot submit the documents required by the insurance company, the claim can be rejected.
Not honouring the rules
One should inform the insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. But if you continue driving the damaged car and make a claim later, your claim can be rejected.
Getting repaired without informing the company
If you get your vehicle repaired without informing the insurance company, it gets difficult for the company to track down the accident and the damages and estimate the repair cost, so your claim might be rejected.
To Add on
One should only take a car insurance claim when your expense is much more significant than the no-claim bonus benefit. Also, one should renew the policy in time to avoid rejections.
