Insurance and Claims

Insurance

• No car can be driven without insurance.
• There are mainly two kinds of insurance covers: Motor Policy A (Act Only Policy or Third Party Insurance) and Motor Policy B (Comprehensive Policy)
• Motor Policy A: Liability is unlimited in case of an injury or death, with added premium. Fire and Theft can also be covered. A specific claim for this must be made in the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal by the injured or legal heir of the deceased against the owner of the vehicle and his insurance company.
• Motor Policy B: This is a comprehensive policy wherein the Insurance company compensates the injured against loss/damage to the vehicle as a result of accident, fire, theft, earthquake, riots, strike, floods, terrorism, loss during transit by road, rail elevators etc. Extra fittings such as music systems, air-conditioners etc. can also be covered.
• A policy is valid from the moment a premium is required – from midnight till exactly a year later.
• It is advisable to get a policy renewed well in advance, as there is no grace period whatsoever and the fine for driving without an insurance is severe.
• The policy is deemed to be renewed from the day that the cheque for the premium is posted by the bank. It is therefore advisable to get a receipt for the same from the bank.
• A person purchasing a new vehicle should inform the insurance company within 14 days to have papers transferred to his name. When a vehicle is sold, the previous owner should inform the insurance company of its sale too.
• A vehicle owner is eligible for no-claim bonus if adjusted against the premium of his new vehicle, even if the past vehicle is sold, the new vehicle is assumed to be purchased within a period of three years.

Claims

• The owner/driver should approach the nearest office of the insurance company for a spot survey, so that there is no dispute later regarding the cause of the accident, the level of damages etc.
• A report must be filed with the local police station and insurance company within 24 hrs.
• If there is no office of the insurance company nearby, any other subsidiary of the GIC can be contacted, namely New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance, United India Insurance, National Insurance. In case none of these offices can be contacted, a licensed surveyor can be contacted. However, in any case, the insurance company should be informed-this can be done even on public holidays.
• After the spot survey, the papers for the claim should be filed, and the vehicle should be assigned to a garage. Claims will be entertained after the insurance company deputes its surveyor for the final assessment on the basis of repair charges, cost of parts etc.
• Rubber and plastic parts, tyres, batteries are calculated at 50% depreciated value and glass is calculated at 100%. All other parts and extra fittings are calculated at 5% depreciation per year up to a maximum of 50%.
• Loss due to mechanical/electrical failure, and routine wear and tear is not included in the policy.
• If the driver is under the influence of alcohol during the time of the accident, no claims are entertained.
• No claim discount in premium is calculated on ‘own damage’ component of the policy. Under comprehensive policies, this discount is permitted if no claim is made during the year. It increases each year with a slab starting from 15% for the first year and reaching maximum upto 50% by the fifth year.
• No claim discount in premium is calculated on ‘own damage’ component of the policy. Under comprehensive policies, this discount is permitted if no claim is made during the year. It increases each year with a slab starting from 15% for the first year and reaching maximum up to 50% by the fifth year.
• This rebate is adjusted against the renewal premium. In case a policy expires but renewed within 90 days of expiry, then no claims bonus already accumulated does not lapse.
• If the claim is made during the first year, then extra premium of 15% will be charged at the time of renewal. It will go on increasing as per the prescribed slab (maximum up to 40%) for claims preferred every year.
• No lights other than those permitted in the Motor Vehicles Rules can be fitted on the vehicle. This includes spotlights, searchlights, mercury lamps, moving lights and fancy lights. Dome lights are also not permitted unless specifically authorized.
• No red light can be fitted anywhere such that it is visible from the front.
• Only red lights and white reverse lights are allowed as visible from behind. During the night, the license plate of a car must be illuminated by a light. All vehicles should have Hazard lights or Parking lights.
• All vehicles should have rear-view mirrors. They must be fitted externally in transport vehicles.
• The use of cellular phones is prohibited while driving.
• No TV/Video display is allowed in a vehicle where it may be a disturbance to the driver.
• No multiton horns can be fitted onto a vehicle. Also, Horns producing musical notes, unduly harsh, shrill or alarming noises are also prohibited.
• The glasses of the front and rear windscreen should have visual transmission of light and not less than 70% and in case of side windows, it should not be less than 50%. The thumb rule suggests clear vision from inside to outside, and outside to inside.