I had a car accident while I was in India last year albeit a
minor one. You might be in a similar situation now or in future. So I’m
documenting the procedure for how
to make a car insurance claim or procedure after accident in India.
In contrast to what happens abroad, the driver of the other
was furious and wanted to get into a fight. Thankfully it was near a busy
signal and a policeman was available nearby to resolve the issue.
This is in stark contrast to what happens abroad. We just
park the car on the side and wait for a policeman to come and issue a report to
both parties. We make our claims based on that and that is reason we have car insurance. There is no need to
get too emotional if there is no physical injury.
Putting that aside, in a country like India, owning a car is
no longer an ‘owner’s pride’ kind of thing. It has become or is becoming a
necessity in life. As banks are willing to lend money to help you buy your dream
car, more and more people are queuing up for car loans.
But your dream vehicle can meet an unfortunate accident at
any point of time. To cover these risks you need to take out a car insurance which is also
known as motor insurance or auto
insurance.
Car insurance claim or procedure in India
Nobody wants to get involved in a car accident. It not
only ruins your entire day, it can cause multiple injuries and even deaths in
some serious cases.
There is hardly any driver in India who has never got
involved in a car accident throughout his life. It is true you cannot stop
accidents from happening but you can be well prepared to meet the
financial losses that results from an accident by buying a proper car
insurance.
But before you can use that insurance money to recover your
loss and back to normal as it was before the accident, there are a few dos and
don’ts which should kept in mind in the process of making a car insurance
claim after an accident in India.
What you
should do after an accident?
An individual is full of anger and varying emotions
immediately after an accident. These negative emotions will try to take control
of your self.
In these trying times, you must keep your calm and try to do
the following with the best of your abilities.
- You should make an attempt to prevent further accidents by keeping the flashers/emergency lights on. If the lights are not working then you should have a flashlight with you for your own safety while you wait by the side of the road. If possible place a glowing tape hazard triangle 10-20 ft behind your car.
- Even
if there are no serious injuries, it is always prudent to call the police.
You may need a police report to file a car insurance claim even
if you are just claiming for the damage to your vehicle. The vehicle
insurance renewal involved in the accident must remain where they are
unless they are proving to be a hindrance to the traffic. If so, take
pictures from all possible angles before moving vehicle to the side of the
road.
- When
the police arrive at the scene, make sure you tell the investigating
officer exactly what happened. Do not speculate or guess; just tell it to
the officer what you really know. Also ensure that the statements given by
the other people involved in the accident are accurate as well. Try to
make sure your story is heard first by the officer. Also do not admit it
is your mistake openly if there is even small doubt. This can be used
against you in some cases during your claim procedure.
- If
there is visible damage to your car, then you use at least your cell phone
camera to take a picture of those damaged areas. If you have visible
injuries, photograph them also. But you should never interfere with the
police investigation. If you are unable to take pictures at the accident
scene, do click pictures as soon as possible before police arrives.
- Typically
an investigating officer should take the name, address and telephone
number of all the persons involved in the accident but if he fails to do
that then it is your duty to take down the details from the people
involved in the accident.
- The motor
insurance company needs to be notified as soon as possible. There are
many policies which require immediate reporting; so you must co-operate
fully in this regard. If there are medical benefits in the insurance
coverage then you must submit the accident related medical bills to the
insurance company. Even better, ask for guidance on how to proceed from
your insurance agent/company itself.
- Always
maintain a file and keep all documents related to the accident together.
The information should include all original bills, the claim number, the
details of the adjuster who is handling the claim made by you, the names
and contact information of all the persons, receipts of all expenses
incurred due to the accident.
[Source: http://www.smartmoneygoal.in/blog/car-motor-insurance-claim-procedure-accident-in-india/#comment-3041]
