Road accidents are a daily occurrence in India and that is why it is mandatory to own insurance if you own a vehicle. We can never be prepared for it, but we can certainly take some preventative measures for it so that we are protected.
Hence, owning insurance for our vehicle/s is crucial. There are some basic steps to claim your insurance, may it be a car, bike or commercial vehicle.
However, they differ depending on the situation. A claim can be filed for either a third-party incident (damage to someone else’s property/vehicle or injury to an individual/s), damage to your own vehicle/bodily harm, and for theft of the vehicle.
Motor Insurance in India: First steps to take after an accident
Contact your insurance provider
Register an FIR in case of third-party damage/injury or in the case of death
According to the claim process offered by your insurer, either transport your vehicle to a network service centre OR to a repair centre of your choice
Post inspection by an insurance inspector, an estimate of the reimbursement will be fixed
Submit the required documents to the insurance company
Post repairs, in case of a cashless claim, the repair centre will be directly paid by the insurer. In case of a non-cashless claim, the insurer will reimburse the bills incurred for the repairs
In the case of third-party insurance, claims will be provided upon the requirement of the situation. You will be guided by the insurance agent accordingly
Motor Insurance: Basic documents required for filing a claim in India
Duly filled insurance claim form
Copy of the RC (Registration Certificate)
Tax receipt
Driving license of the individual driving at the time of the accident
Insurance policy documents – submitted at the time of buying the insurance
FIR copy in case of third-party damage, injury to third party or death
Repair bills and receipts (in case of a non-cashless claim)
OR
An estimate of repair from the service centreAdditional documents might be required depending on the insurer or requirement of the claim
In case of theft of the vehicle, one needs to submit a few more documents/items, along with the original list:
Set of keys/ Service Booklet/Warranty Card
Letter to the RTO
Theft endorsement papers from the RTO, along with forms 28,29,30,35 *
Details of the previous insurance policies such as company, policy number, duration and time of insurance, etc.
FIR and final report of the police
Letter of Subrogation
Claim Discharge Voucher signed across a Revenue Stamp
Processes of Insurance Companies to reimburse the Insurer
Cashless process:
The damaged vehicle is shifted to the nearest network repair centre once the insurer is informed.
After the claim is approved, the insurer directly makes the claim payment to the authorised repair centre. The insured party only has to pay for items not covered under their policy.
Non-cashless process:
In some cases the insurer is unable to process a cashless payment, you can get your vehicle repaired from any garage/service centre according to your convenience.
Claims are provided in the form of reimbursements against the bills submitted to the insurer. Non-cashless payments are common for 2-wheeler insurance claims.
Conclusion
Going through the aftermath of a road accident is never easy, but insurance helps us in going through the repercussions of the same. Although nothing can reimburse or cover up for difficulties that one goes through, financial help certainly does help in most cases and that's why insurance is essential.
