My car met with an accident recently. The damages are huge. How should I claim the loss from the insurers?
Vikram Rathi, Pune
The first step is to notify your insurance company regarding the accident and not to start the repairs till an insurance surveyor is appointed by the company to assess the loss. The insurers normally depute a surveyor within 24 hours of being intimated by the claimant.
You should remain present during the survey to answer the surveyor’s questions along with the relevant papers. You shall be required to fill a claim form and give a copy of your insurance policy, a copy of registration certificate of vehicle and driving licence of the driver at the time of accident, a copy of estimate of repairs given by the garage, an FIR or a police report in case there was an injury or any other person or the property of any third-party was damaged. The surveyor will assess the loss and recommend a claim amount to the insurer. If you do not agree with the assessment made by the surveyor, you can ask your insurer to appoint another surveyor. These days cashless settlement is the norm, all you need to do is take your vehicle to a service centre authorised to settle a claim. The service centre will follow up with your insurer to settle your claim amount.
