India has suffered a loss of 4.69trillion rupees in the last 60 years due to floods. Natural calamities never come with a warning bell. India, a country with a wide range of terrains, often faces widespread damage due to floods. If you live in a flood-prone area, you might be susceptible to damages including damage to your car. It is not completely possible to protect your car from flood damage but it is possible to claim your car insurance in case such a situation arises. The insurance claiming process has become pretty hassle-free in recent times. You can even buy car insurance online and raise a claim online as well.
Want to know how you can do it in a few easy steps? Read on to find out!
Do’s and Don’ts
Before we dive into the process of dealing with flood damages for your car, let’s go over a few points to keep in mind during floods!
- Do not turn on the ignition or attempt to push start the car if it is stuck in the water. It can cause a short-circuit in the electrical system of the car.
- Do not crank the engine in a flooded area even when the water subsides.
- Disconnect the car’s battery and get the car towed to a garage after the water recedes.
- Ask the mechanic to rust-proof your car at the garage
- Check the brakes for proper functioning. The brakes might get affected by the flood water if it enters the brake lines, discs, or pads.
- Check for the radiator fan motor’s proper working.
Process of Insurance Claim
Now to the real deal- let’s go through the steps of filing a claim for car insurance.
Step 1: Call the Toll Free number given on your Car Insurance policy.
Step 2: Provide basic information such as where the car was parked, whether or not the car was being driven in flood, etc, to the car insurance personnel.
Step 3: You will receive a unique claim registration number. You will need to quote this number for any interaction with the insurance company.
Step 4: Your insurance provider will arrange a pick up at a scheduled time to get the car towed. Alternatively, you will need to get it towed to the garage.
Step 5: The insurance company will send a surveyor to assess the total damage to the car. You will be informed about the total payable amount by the company and the amount that you have to bear. You will have to ensure that the approval of this claim should be as per the coverage parameters/scope of your insurance policy. Be sure to cross-check the final amount in the confidence of the surveyor. Once you are sure about the amount, sign the claim settlement documents to initiate the process.
Step 6: Check the status of your car repair once in a while.
Step 7: Once your car has been repaired, crosscheck with the order checklist provided with the claim documents. Pay the differential amount of the service charges and sign the final documents. Receive the delivery of your car and promptly buy new comprehensive motor insurance.
Car insurance is in place to protect your finances in times of crisis. Be sure to buy the right insurance for your car and stay safe in tough times!
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, Link Building Corp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.