CLAIMING INSURANCE AFTER VEHICLE THEFT There are a number of reasons to claim insurance for vehicles. Damage during an accident, damage ...
CLAIMING INSURANCE AFTER VEHICLE
THEFT
There are a number of reasons to claim insurance for vehicles. Damage
during an accident, damage due to third-party act, and damage due to own fault and
loss of the vehicle due to theft is usually the major reasons for filing a claim
of insurance. However, it is easier said than done. We often see a number of
insurance claims fail, leading to the filing of cases in consumer courts.
If you own one or more vehicles (for personal use), then it is
imperative that you know the process of filing a claim and the things to be
vigilant in order to successfully process your insurance claims. This article will deal with the steps which should be undertaken in event of loss of the vehicle due to theft.
Steps to be undertaken before
filing an insurance claim:
As soon as the owner discovers the theft of the vehicle, he/she must
immediately call on 100 and inform the PCR of the theft. The time of this call
should be noted down. No delay must be caused in making this call. It is highly
recommended that the call be placed as soon as possible. This ensures that if
the vehicle is used for any criminal activity, the owner is not held liable.
After calling on 100 or informing the PCR, you need to register an F.I.R
(or file a lost-vehicle report) of the stolen vehicle under section 379 of Indian
Penal Code. Registration of F.I.R is mandatory and the copy of this F.I.R is a
fundamental document to file a claim of insurance later-on.
It is extremely important to register a complaint as soon as possible.
If any delay is caused, recovery of the stolen vehicle becomes very difficult,
especially if the vehicle crosses the State border. If the delay is caused
without any reasonable explanation, and meanwhile some criminal activity has
been committed using the stolen vehicle, then the criminal liability for such
crime will be placed on the owner of the car. Thus, immediate registration of
complaint saves you from many problems.
F.I.R can be registered either physically at the nearest Police Station
or through the online portal. Each state has its own online website (or mobile
application) for this purpose. You can obtain the information for the same by
calling on PCR or dialing 100.
For instance, for the state of Panjab, you can register a lost-vehicle report
through www.ppsanjh.in. For NCT Delhi, you can go to http://www.delhipolice.nic.in/ and for the state of Uttar Pradesh, you can visit
Uttar Pradesh Police portal here.
Your application must contain the following details:
1.
Time of
the theft, and the last time you saw the vehicle.
2.
Place of
Theft or parking address from where it was stolen.
3.
Details of
the vehicle (color, model, registration number, and other crucial details).
4.
Photos of
the vehicle. (if any)
5.
Items and
documents that were stolen along with the vehicle.
6. Attach all important documents along with the application like your Driving license, RC, insurance certificate etc.
Once you register a Lost Vehicle Complaint, you will receive a signed
F.I.R copy. If you register online, a signed F.I.R copy will be sent on your
registered email id. Keep this copy safe as it will be used for various legal
formalities.
Also, remember to inform the RTO of the theft as well as the documents
lost along with the vehicle.
Steps to file an Insurance claim:
Keep the following documents ready:
·
Copy of
the F.I.R
·
Driving
License
·
Registration
Certificate of the stolen vehicle
·
Insurance
certificate (make sure your insurance certificate is not expired)
·
Original
vehicle-keys
·
NOC from
the bank (in case the vehicle was taken on loan)
·
Loan
Agreement copy in case the loan on the vehicle is not fully paid
In case you have lost the documents along with the vehicle, then use
Photostat or scanned copies of the documents. It is advisable to immediately
apply for duplicates after you discover the loss of documents.
If you have lost the original vehicle keys, then you need to file a
report of the same with the nearest Police Station or online. A copy of this report
will be attached along with the insurance claim.
In case the vehicle is lost under someone else’s watch, then a copy of
that person’s driving license needs to be attached as well. Please note that if
the vehicle was lost by an under-age person, then the insurance claim will fail.
Similarly, if a non-commercial vehicle is used for commercial purposes and lost
while under commercial use, then again the insurance claim will fail.
Follow these steps to file a successful insurance claim:
1.
Inform the insurance company of the theft. You can either submit a written application or
call the customer-care of the Insurance Company. If you are submitting an
application, write a detailed application, attach all necessary documents along
with a copy of the F.I.R.
2.
You must
inform the Insurance company of the theft within one-week or sooner if
possible. No unnecessary delays should be caused at this stage.
3.
After you
inform the insurance company of the theft, they will usually send an agent to
collect the documents. Make sure that you submit proper documents as mentioned
above along with a copy of the F.I.R.
4.
Remember
to take a “Documents Received” note from the agent. This is very crucial and
many people tend to miss out on this point.
5.
If the vehicle is not recovered within 60-days, then a “vehicle untraceable” declaration
must be obtained from the Police Station. The same needs to be attached to
the documents of an insurance claim.
Points to Remember:
· In spite of
attaching proper documents, there is a chance that the Insurance claim will be
refused. In such a scenario, you can file a case in Consumer Court and claim
your insurance amount along with compensation.
·
If an insurance agent is not sent within 15 days, then you need to keep reminding the
insurance company. Don’t expect that the insurance company will willingly
honour your call or application.
·
Make sure
that you receive and note down your complaint number, claim number, application
number etc. for future reference.
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