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6 Ways to Ensure a Successful Car Insurance Claim

Team AckoJan 18, 2024

Nowadays buying car insurance is easy and quick. After paying for the insurance premium, you must be expecting for the approval of the claim during the policy period. But sometimes your claims get rejected because of your negligence. Read on to learn how to ensure that your car insurance claim is approved under your policy.

Contents

6 Ways to Ensure That Your Car Insurance Claim is Approved
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions:

Car Insurance Claim Process:

Raising a claim is a process of requesting your insurer to compensate for the damage cost of the insured vehicle incurred due to an unfortunate event such as accident, theft, explosion, or any natural calamities. Insurance companies will verify the documents and initiate the claim settlement process as per your car insurance policy.

6 Ways to Ensure That Your Car Insurance Claim is Approved

Car insurance claims can be settled successfully if you follow the insurance policy guidelines. Here are some tips to make your car insurance claim settlement procedure successful and smoother:

1. Determine the Claim Type

If your car meets with an accident with a third-party, then either you can opt for the other party’s insurance coverage, or you can raise a claim under your insurance policy. You could raise a claim under third-party’s car insurance policy if the accident was not your fault. In this way, you can save your NCB to get a discount on your car insurance renewal premium. If you are responsible for the accident, then undoubtedly you have to raise a claim under your car insurance policy.

2. Inform Your Insurer

The foremost thing is to inform your insurer when the insured vehicle meets with an accident. Your claim may get rejected if you fail to notify your insurer within a specified time of the car-related mishap. Every single forgotten detail can hamper your claim settlement procedure. So it is advisable to inform your insurer about the mishap as soon as possible.

Also, read: Claim Settlement Ratio of Insurance Companies

3. File an FIR

As soon as your insured car meets an accident involving a third-party, it is mandatory to file a police complaint at the nearest police station. An FIR copy needs to be submitted to the insurance company for raising a claim.

4. Gathering of Relevant Information

For a successful claim, you have to make a record of how, when and where the mishap happened. Apart from that, you need to mention the details of the damage, and the injuries caused to the driver and passengers. Having a supporting document or proof will ease the claiming process.

5. No-Trace Certificate from Police

In case of theft or vandalism, you may need to get a No-Trace Certificate along with an FIR copy. This certificate is issued by the police authorities to state that the car is stolen and can not be traced. No-Trace Certificate is a significant document in claim settlement for theft.

Also, read: Mistakes to avoid when filing a car insurance claim

6. Raising the Claim

The last step includes raising a claim about the compensation for the insured car. Once you gather the required documents to submit, you can raise a claim for the compensation. The documents include the registration certificate of your car, FIR copy, copy of your insurance policy, your driving license, No-trace certificate (if the car is stolen), and repair bills and receipts, etc. Once the documents get verified by your insurer, your claim will be settled accordingly.

Types of Claims

There are two types of car insurance claim settlement options:

1. Cashless Claim

In car insurance cashless claim settlement type, your insurance company will allow you to get your vehicle repaired in a network garage that has a tie-up with your insurance company. However, you must pay for the deductible, which is decided at the time of your premium and IDV calculation. The repair cost will be directly paid to the network garage by your insurer.

2. Reimbursement Claim

Through the reimbursement claim, you can repair your insured vehicle in your preferred garage by paying the repair bill, which you can be compensated later by your insurance company. After verifying all the documents, the insurer will approve or reject the claim accordingly.

Conclusion

If you follow the above-mentioned point, your online car insurance claim will be settled successfully. Some people opt for an offline claim settlement, which can be a cumbersome and time-consuming process. However, opting for online car insurance enables a hassle-free experience of the claim settlement procedure. To know more about car insurance online.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some frequently asked questions on the above topic:

Which information do I have to tell my insurer while raising a claim?

While raising a claim, your insurer may ask you about some basic information such as your contact details, your car insurance policy number, the car accident details, damage details to your car and passengers, third-party damage (if involved), etc. Forgetting a small detail may hinder your claim settlement procedure. So it’s better to provide every detail to your insurer while raising a claim.

Which documents are needed for a car insurance claim settlement procedure?

While raising a claim, you have to submit the following documents:

A copy of your car insurance policy
FIR copy
Registration certificate of your car
Copy of your driving licence
Repair bills or receipts

What are the types of claims?

Claims can be either Cashless or Reimbursement. In a cashless claim, your insurer will allow you to get your vehicle repaired for free in a network garage that has a tie-up with your insurance company. In reimbursement claims, you can repair your insured vehicle in your preferred garage and later your insurer will refund the repair amount. But in reimbursement claims, you have to submit all the supporting documents and repair bills. It is wiser to choose a cashless claim as it is a faster and paperless claim settlement process.

When should I raise a claim for my car?

When your insured vehicle meets with an accident or any car-related mishap happens such as theft, fire, an explosion of your car then you will be eligible to raise a compensation claim. Remember that raising a claim for minor repair can hamper your No Claim Bonus. So it is advisable not to raise minor claims such as puncture, small repair, and scratches, etc.

Is there any chance for rejection of my claim?

Yes, your claim may be rejected in the following situations:

Fraud
If you are driving a vehicle without a valid driving licence
Accidental damage due to drinking and driving
Delay in informing your insurer
Lapsed insurance policy
Driving outside a specific geographical area, etc.

Are natural calamities covered under car insurance?

Yes, damage or losses due to natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, etc. are covered under a car insurance policy. Opting for a comprehensive insurance policy for your car can cover your own vehicle damage cost due to natural calamities.

How to raise a claim if my car gets stolen?

If your car gets stolen, the first thing you have to do is file an FIR at the local police station. You have to inform your insurer about the theft as soon as possible. You must submit your car insurance policy copy, FIR copy and supporting documents such as No-Trace certificate to your insurer. No-Trace certificate should be issued by the police saying that your insured vehicle is not traceable within a specified period. Your insurer will initiate the claim verification process, and once it is done, your claim will be settled under the terms and conditions of the policy.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on industry experience and several secondary sources on the internet; and is subject to changes. Please go through the applicable policy wordings for updated ACKO-centric content and before making any insurance-related decisions.

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