Owning a car is a dream for many people. They save for many years to buy a new car. However, sometimes the car gets damaged, whether it is our fault or not.
The vehicle can get damaged due to a road accident or natural calamities. Getting it repaired can be a costly affair.
Therefore, car insurance is as essential as health insurance for a person. Insurance is beneficial in adverse situations. Many people need clarification about insurance claims. Here are the steps to follow to claim insurance compensation:
How do you claim insurance coverage after an accident?
Inform the insurance company about the accident: Inform the insurance company about the accident and provide detailed information about the damage to your vehicle.
Always tell the truth without hiding any information from your insurance provider, as it can be counterproductive when trying to raise a claim.
Register an FIR with the Police: Inform the police immediately about the accident and register a First Information Report (FIR) if necessary.
An FIR is generally required to be registered in theft, traffic accidents, or vehicle fires. If the damage is only minor, such as cracks and scratches on the vehicle, you don’t need to register an FIR. However, if a third party is involved in the accident, then an FIR has to be registered.
Take proper photographs: Ensure adequate pictures of the accident site and the nature of the vehicle damage are taken.
Also, ensure the photos are clear and the damage is visible. This will help the insurance company determine the extent of the vehicle’s physical damage, and your coverage claim can be settled accordingly.
Send required documents to the insurance company: To start the claim process for faster processing, your insurance provider company needs some documents like the insurance policy copy, FIR copy, owner’s driving license copy, and your car registration certificate copy.
Ensure you submit these documents correctly and work with the insurance company for a hassle-free claim settlement experience.
Repair the car: Take the damaged vehicle to the garage for repair. Alternatively, you can ask the insurance company to repair the car.
If your insurance coverage claim is approved, the company will reimburse your expenses or compensate you as they deem fit. If you are repairing the vehicle damage from the workshop, the claim settlement can be done in two ways.
One way is for the insurance provider to assess the loss and pay you upfront. The other way is to submit an estimated repair cost before the repair is made or an actual invoice after the damage is repaired. The insurance provider reimburses this as per their policy.
How do you claim insurance coverage when damaged by natural calamities? If your car is damaged due to natural disasters like heavy rains, floods, or landslides, you can claim insurance coverage to get the vehicle repaired.
However, in the case of a vehicle accident due to natural calamities, one needs to know what is covered and not covered under the plan.
In this case, you should immediately contact the insurance provider company to start the claim process. Take clear pictures and a video of the damaged car to show the damage clearly.
You must fill out some forms or submit necessary details and documents like accident information, a copy of the owner’s license, and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate through mail or any other communication medium. However, submission of these documents may vary from one insurer to another.
Based on this information, the company appoints a surveyor to examine and assess the damage. Please answer all questions the surveyor asks truthfully, as the claim depends on it.
Claim settlement is hassle-free. After verification, the vehicle will be repaired in the workshop, and claim settlement can be done on an account basis or through reimbursement.