Loss of Personal Belongings Add-on in Car Insurance

There may be cases in which the personal belongings in your vehicle may be stolen, leading to a loss for you. The loss of personal belongings cover can be purchased by paying an extra premium. With this cover in effect, the insurer will cover losses resulting because of the theft of your personal property from the insured vehicle.

Exclusions in Loss of Personal Belongings Cover

The following are some of the exclusions in loss of belongings cover

1. If the theft happened because of the neglect of the policyholder,
2. Belongings that are not carried around by the policyholder
3. Damage because of theft that was not reported to the police within 24 hours of being found
4. Loss due to climate wear and tear, climatic situations, mechanical or electrical failure, etc.
5. Property Borrowed
6. Policyholder's personal belongings that he/she has assigned to a third party
7. Loss of any significant documents
8. Belongings not reported in the police report
9. Damage to the belongings that are left overnight in the car

Claim Settlement Process

The process of claim settlement for a loss of personal belongings cover include the following steps:

1. Within 24 hours of you finding out about the burglary, notify the car insurance company.
2. At the time of claim filing, you need to include your personal information, contact information, policy number, time and date of theft, location of the incident.
3. File a first information report (FIR) at the nearby police station and get a copy of the FIR.

Documentation for the Claim Settlement Process

In the claim settlement process, you are expected to submit to the insurer the following documents:

1. Claim form properly filled and signed
2. The FIR copy filed by you
3. Final investigative report copy
4. Original invoice & receipts supporting the claim
5. Report on Property Irregularity

You need to follow the process mentioned below to file a successful vehicle theft claim.

1. Filing of FIR: That's a pre-requisite. The moment you come to know about the theft, at the nearest police station, you have to report the incident. Without that, the car theft claim process. cannot be initiated.
2. Call Your Car Insurance Provider: Once you have filed an FIR claim, you need to contact the insurance company directly to let them know about your auto theft. Ensure that you do not delay informing the insurer
3. Inform the Transport Office: It is important to inform the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of your car theft. From them, you must transfer papers and documents
4. Gather All Documents: You must collect all the necessary documents to authenticate the claim after you have followed the procedure. Fill up the car theft claim form and submit all the necessary paperwork until all the documents are obtained.

Conclusion

You can be assured that the financial risks will be protected or at least reduced with a comprehensive car insurance policy. However, only the car and not any personal belongings that were in the car will be covered by a comprehensive auto insurance policy. This means that you have to pay out of your wallet for the loss of personal belongings. In such a situation, you can insure your personal belongings at an extra premium with an add-on cover.

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.