What Is the Process for Filling an Own-Damage Car Insurance Claim?

A car insurance claim process comes in force when you face an emergency that is covered under your car insurance plan. In such a situation, you can file a claim after which your car insurance company will compensate for the financial damage and loss sustained by your car. The car insurance claim process is of two types such as cashless claim and reimbursement claim. Let’s understand the process for filing an own-damage car insurance claim of both types.

Cashless Car Insurance Claim Process

The cashless car insurance claim settlement process is applicable only if you get your car repaired at the network garage of your insurance company. In such a case, your insurer directly settles your insurance claim with the workshop or garage and you will not have to make any payment for repairs. The cashless claim settlement process for own-damage car insurance is as follows:

• Intimate your insurer immediately after an accident or mishap. It will help you in registering your claim.
• Inform the police about the incident in detail and lodge an FIR. It is an important step in the claim settlement process in situations like road accidents, theft, fire, etc.
• Click a few photos of your car after the accident that involves your car’s damages, your bodily injuries, and so on., as they can serve as valid proof during the settlement of the claim.
• Arrange all the relevant documents and copies of documents such as car registration certificate, driving license, FIR, and so on, to submit to the insurance company.
• The insurance company will inform you about the nearest cashless network garage, where you can take your car for cashless repairs. The towing facilities can be arranged if the car could not move.
• Once your car reaches the garage, the surveyor of your insurer will come to assess the extent of the damage. Show all the relevant documents to the surveyor.
• The surveyor will prepare a claim report after estimating the claim and submit it to the insurance company. On that basis, your insurer will approve or reject your claim.
• If your claim gets approved, the garage would start repairing your car. After the repair is completed, your insurance company will settle the bills of repair directly with the garage.

Reimbursement Car Insurance Claim Process

If you take your car to any non-network garage for repair, then the reimbursement car insurance claim process will be applicable. In this process, you will have to pay for the cost of repairs initially and then get it reimbursed from your insurer by submitting the repair bills. The reimbursement claim settlement process for own-damage car insurance is as follows:

• Inform your insurer immediately about the event and register your claim.
• Take your car to any garage of your choice to get it repaired.
• The surveyor of your insurer will visit the workshop to access the damages.
• The surveyor will prepare an estimate of the claim and submit it to the insurance company.
• The garage will repair your car and you will have to pay for the generated repair bill.
• Submit the original bills of repair issued by the garage to your insurer with a claim form.
• The insurance company will examine the bills and claim form to reimburse your repair cost.

Documents Required for Car Insurance Claims

Without the submission of valid documents, your car insurance claim could never be approved. Here is the list of documents that you need to have to submit to your insurer to get your claim settled:

• Car insurance policy certificate
• Copy of the Police FIR
• Copy of driving license
• Copy of the Registration Certificate
• A duly filled and signed claim form
• All the original bills of repair generated by the garage
• Policyholder’s photo identity proof such as PAN Card, Aadhar Card, etc.

When Not to File for Car Insurance Claim?

The following scenarios are situations when it is best not to file for a car insurance claim

1. When the cost of repairing your car is lower than the no claim bonus: With every own-damage car insurance cover, the insurance provider gives the insurance holder a reward for every claim-free year. The NCB amount becomes higher with every consecutive claim-free year and is disabled when the insurance holder makes a claim. Hence, it makes more sense financially to not file for a car insurance claim when the compensation amount will be lower than the NCB.

2. When the cost of repairing your car can be paid by third party insurance: In case of an unfortunate incident where you are not at fault, the other party can pay for the damage costs with their third party insurance cover. For this, you will need to file an FIR, have the information of the other party and convince the insurance provider that it was not your fault. All third party claims are approved by the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal. Thus, it can be a bit more cumbersome than own-damage insurance claims. This way your accumulated NCB will also not be lost.

Bottom Line

A car insurance plan can turn out to be a huge support when you face an accident or mishap and suffer financial loss due to them. But, to deal with such situations, you should know the process of car insurance claim settlement so that you can use your own-damage car insurance policy when needed.

Types of Car Insurance You Should Know:

Third-Party Car Insurance

Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy

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Cashless Car Insurance Claims Explained

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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.