Even if you are a very good driver, anyone can be a victim of a road accident. And sometimes its consequences can be very stressful. Also, you may see your car getting damaged due to natural disasters or calamities. When you are involved in an accident, you need to take steps to ensure that everyone is safe, follow the law, and start the insurance claim process to fix the damage.
The same process applies in case of natural disasters as well. In such a situation, your immediate action should be to inform your insurance company and follow the correct procedure to make a car insurance claim. Working with your insurance company after an accident is very important to ensure that your insurance claim is resolved correctly.
How to Claim Car Insurance after an Accident
Inform the insurance company
Inform your insurance provider company about the accident. And give them complete details about the damage to your vehicle. Always make sure that you are not hiding any information from your insurance company. Because this can backfire when trying to make an insurance claim.
File an FIR with the police
Immediately inform the police about the accident and file an FIR if necessary. Usually, filing an FIR is necessary in case of theft, road accident or fire in the vehicle. If the damage is just minor scratches, you may not need to file an FIR. However, if the accident involves a third party, you will have to lodge an FIR.
Take proper photographs
Always make sure to take enough photographs of the accident spot along with the damage to the vehicle. Also, make sure that the photographs are clear and the damage to the vehicle is clearly visible. So that the insurance company can check the extent of damage to the vehicle and settle your coverage claim accordingly.
Send the necessary documents to the insurer
To start the claim process and for faster settlement, your insurance provider company will need certain documents. Such as a copy of the insurance policy, a copy of the FIR, a copy of the owner’s driving license, a copy of your car registration certificate. Make sure you submit these documents properly and work with the insurance company for a hassle-free claim settlement experience.
Get the car repaired
You can get the damaged vehicle repaired by taking it to the garage. On the other hand, you can request the insurance company to repair the car. If your insurance coverage claim is approved, the insurance company will reimburse your costs. If you are getting the car repaired yourself, there are two ways of claim settlement:
Advance payment
The insurance company will assess the damage and pay you an advance.
Submitting the actual bill
You can submit the estimated cost of repair before the repair or the actual bill after the repair. The insurance company will pay the amount as per its policy.
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How to claim car insurance after a natural disaster
If your car is damaged due to a natural calamity or disaster, you can claim insurance coverage to get the car repaired. However, it is advisable that you check your car insurance policy document to know what is covered and what is not in case of an accident caused by a natural calamity or disaster.
The process of claiming insurance coverage for a car damaged due to a natural calamity or disaster is the same as the process of making a claim after an accident. In this case too, you need to contact the insurance company immediately to start the claim process. Take clear pictures of the damaged car and make a video of it, which clearly shows the damage.
You may need to fill some forms or submit necessary details and documents such as accident information, a copy of the owner’s license, a copy of the vehicle’s registration certificate through post or any other mode of communication. However, the process of submitting these documents may vary according to each insurance company.
Based on these information, the company will send someone to conduct a survey to check and evaluate the damage. Make sure to answer all the questions asked by the surveyor honestly. Because on the basis of that, the claim settlement will be done without any hassle.
Make sure to give the correct information to the surveyor. After verification, the vehicle will be repaired at the workshop. The claim settlement can be done on an advance payment basis or through reimbursement. But this will be the decision of your insurance provider.