Behind The Scenes Of A Car Insurance Claim Process

Introduction

An insurance policy is mandatory for car owners, as it will help them get monetary assistance in case their vehicle incurs damage or a complete loss due to an accident or any other natural calamity, theft, and more. Usually, when you buy a car, it is mandatory to buy what is called third-party insurance. This will provide protection to any third party involved against any damages or loss. Apart from the third-party cover, there are several other plans you can choose as add-on insurance cover. 

There are two main types of insurance policies you can take up - third-party and comprehensive insurance plans. While we have already discussed what a third-party car insurance policy is, a comprehensive insurance policy is a plan that provides you as well as any third-party involved, with financial coverage against any kind of damages or loss caused due to accidents, thefts, and any other man-made or natural calamities. Comprehensive car insurance is a combination of both third-party and own damage insurance covers. 

Once you have an insurance plan in hand, you need to know the car insurance claim process. There are two types of insurance claims, firstly -

1. Cashless claim: This is possible when you get your car repaired at a garage authorised by or partnered with your insurance company. You will have to provide the garage with a copy of your insurance documents to the garage official. The payment is done directly by the insurance company.

2. Reimbursement claim: This type of claim is when you get your car repaired at a garage that is not authorised by or partnered with your insurance company. In this case, you will have to make the payment at the garage for the repair work done. Your insurance company will reimburse the amount spent upon producing the invoice from the garage to them.

Now that we have understood the claim types, we will discuss the car insurance claim process and what goes on behind this in the next section. 

How Does The Car Insurance Claim Process Work?

It is pretty simple. In the case of damage or complete loss or theft of your vehicle, the following steps are involved in the car insurance claim process:

• Inform your insurance company.
• File a First Information Report (FIR) with the police. 
• Inform your Regional Transport Office (RTO).
• Head to your insurance agent and file for a claim with all necessary documents. 

These are a few basics of a car insurance claim process. Let’s take a look at what goes on behind the scenes of a car insurance claim process, pertaining to third-party claims, accident cover, and own damage claims!

1. Third-party claims

Third-party claims are nothing but car insurance policies that provide third parties with protection against damages or losses incurred in accidents or thefts.

• Get the insurance details of the vehicle that has caused the damage. 
• Intimate the insurance company of that particular vehicle.
• Inform your insurance company about the incident.
• File for a third-party claim with your insurer.
• Inform the police and file an FIR. 
• Also, file a case with the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal that has control over the area in which the accident happened. 

2. Accident coverage

Accident coverages are plans that pay the policyholder in full in the event of an accident. 

• Inform the insurance company you are associated with immediately. 
• File a complaint and an FIR with the local police station.
• Produce multimedia evidence of the incident to the police and your insurance agent. 
• File a claim with your insurance company. 
• Request them to assign you a surveyor for evaluation. 
• Submit the necessary documents and evidence while filing the claim. 

3. Own damage claims

Own damage claims are insurance plans that provide coverage for own damages sustained by your vehicle due to accidents and other natural and man-made calamities. 

• Inform the insurance company immediately. 
• Inform your local Regional Transport Office (RTO). 
• Check for damages to the car and look for any injuries you may have sustained. 
• Take a call on whether you would also need coverage for your medical expenses. 
• In the case of an accident, follow the protocols mentioned in the accident coverage section.
• File an FIR with the nearest police station and produce all evidence of damage and ensure you retain a copy of the FIR. 
• Submit all evidence and documents required while filing for the claim. 

This is the car insurance claim process for third-party, accident, and own damage covers. While most of the steps are similar, there are minute differences based on the event. 

If you are looking for an insurance company to buy car insurance, welcome to Chola MS! Your vehicle is well-insured with the Chola MS car insurance! Being one of the leading insurance companies, Chola MS car insurance will provide you with the financial support you would need in times of damage and loss of your car. 

We have partnered with highly-rated garages across the country that will offer you the best of repair services for your car. With minimal wait time on claims and reimbursements and excellent customer assistance, the Chola car insurance is the best insurance coverage you can get for your car. 
For more details, you can visit Chola MS website.

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