Car Insurance Claim Process - A Step-By-Step Guide For Claims

Car Insurance Claim for Damages to Own Car

Here is a step by step guide to raise a car insurance claim if your car has met with an unforeseen accident:

• Intimate the Insurance Company: First and foremost, intimate the insurance company about the accident on their toll-free no./email at the earliest. You will have to submit a duly filled-in claim form along with the requisite documents to the insurance company and take your car to the workshop and get an estimate of the damaged vehicle. The forms are available on the insurers’ websites as well as at their offices.
• Inspection: The insurance company will send a surveyor to assess the damages. The surveyor will prepare a report and pass it on to the insurer and you will also receive a copy. Based on the surveyor’s report, your car will be sent to the network garage for repairs. 
• Submit Documents: After the work is completed, you will have to give the surveyor the duly signed repair invoice and payment receipt and other documents, who in turn will send it to the insurance company.
• Cashless Claim: If all the documents are in place, your car will get repaired in the insurer’s network garage. The insurance company will then directly settle the claim via cashless claim settlement with the network garage. 
• Reimbursement Claim: In case of reimbursement you can firstly make the payment to the garage from where you got your car repaired and the repair amount will be reimbursed in your account basis the terms and conditions of the policy.

Remember that the insurance company will not reimburse your bills if you do not submit them immediately after your car is released from the garage. So you cannot keep the small bills and hope to submit them at the end of the year.

Car Insurance Claim Process for a Third-Party Claim

The motor insurance claim process in the case of third-party insurance is slightly different. Follow these steps for a third-party claim:

• If a third party has sent you a legal notice asking for a claim, do not communicate with the party before informing your insurance company. Also, remember not to make any financial commitments or out-of-court settlements before speaking to your insurer first.
• Submit a copy of the notice to your insurer.
• You will also have to submit copies of the RC book of the car, the driving licence and the FIR.
• The insurer will verify the documents and assess the accident and if found satisfactory, you will get a lawyer appointed by them.
• If the court directs you to pay the damages to the third party thereafter, the insurance company will directly pay the dues to the third party. The claim amount under third party claim is dependent on the age, profession and income of the third party. 

Car Insurance Claim Process for a Stolen Car

If your car has been stolen, here is how you can file a claim for theft of your car:

• First of all, file a complaint with the police and lodge an FIR.
• Submit a copy of the FIR to the insurance company.
• Once you receive the final police report (Non traceable report stamped by court), make a copy of it and submit it to your insurance provider.
• The insurance company will assign an investigator for further claim-related investigation. Cooperate with the investigator.
• Wait for the claim to be approved.
• Once the claim has been approved, submit the RC book of your stolen car to the insurance company. The name of the owner will then be changed to the insurer’s name.
• Submit the duplicate keys of the car and also a subrogation letter. You will also need to submit a notarized indemnity on stamp paper to the insurer.
• Once all the formalities are completed, the insurance company will disburse the claim. The claim amount will be equal to the Insured Declared Value of your vehicle.

It is very important to be well-informed about the formalities related to making a car insurance claim. Whether you need to make a small claim due to a minor accident or a major claim due to the theft of your car, knowing the procedures will make the job a lot simpler for you.

Wrapping Up!

All insurance providers these days have a very good customer support network and so you must communicate with your insurer whenever there is a need. If you have any doubts regarding the claims, get them sorted beforehand so that your car insurance claim process goes smoothly at the time of a need. Keep the points mentioned above in mind and your job of filing and receiving a third party or comprehensive car insurance claim will become a lot simpler.