This monsoon, don't lose motor claim due to negligence

This monsoon, take extra care or buy add-on covers to protect your vehicle

“Monsoon is when we see a spurt in motor claims. Accidents are higher because of poor visibility and slippery roads. Besides many vehicles also get damaged due to water entering the engines. In some, cases claims for vehicle repair might not be payable if customers are not careful,” says Vijay Kumar, chief technical officer-motor, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

For instance, complaints of engine stalling due to water logging is very common. Your vehicle could be parked in a place which is prone to flooding, say the basement of your building. Or you might live or work in an area prone to waterlogging. In such cases, chances of engine seizure or engine failure due to water entering the vehicle's engine through the exhaust pipes are high. If this happens and your vehicle gets stalled, as per insurance guidelines, you are entitled to Rs 1,500 for towing of the vehicle and Rs 500 for an on the spot inspection. In case you don't avail of this and try to crank the engine of the stalled vehicle, your insurance company can refuse to pay the damage, saying it is gross negligence.

“If your car is stalled due to waterlogging, don’t attempt to start the engine even once. Call an expert for an inspection and tow the vehicle away from the spot. Damage due to waterlogging can be quite expensive to repair,”' says Kumar.

But if you buy an Engine Protector add-on cover, then you can claim the money spent on repairs to the engine. This cover also covers damage to the undercarriage of the engine, if you drive your vehicle after it has developed a snag. For instance, if you drive the car despite the gear box getting damaged or an oil leak, again common problems in monsoon. “These are further damages to original damages and will be termed as gross negligence,” Kumar points out.

 

Insurance companies honour a majority of the motor claims. The minuscule part that are not paid are of these kinds, points out K K Mishra, chief executive officer , Tata AIG General Insurance. The Engine Protector cover is particularly useful for cars that have a low floor, as they are more prone to engine seizure. “This is available with most of the insurers along with their base plan, at a nominal rate,”' says Naveen Kukreja Group CMO, Policybazaar.com.

Another useful add-on cover to have during monsoon is Roadside Assistance. If you car is stalled, you can call the insurance company to take your car to the service centre. “In monsoon your car may get stalled for no fault of yours. In such a case a Roadside Assistance cover is useful,” says Sanjay Datta, chief-underwriting & claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance.

 

Zero Depreciation is another useful cover to have. This ensures in case of an accident you will receive the full claim without any deduction for depreciation on the value of the parts replaced. It is available on new cars and usually don’t cover cars that are more than five years old. If you don’t have a Zero Depreciation cover, you may have to foot as much as 50 per cent of expenses incurred on replacing parts, especially of plastic, fibre, bumper, says Kukreja.

These add-on covers can be bought at the time of buying the policy or renewal. The cost varies between 0.2-0.25 per cent of the Insured Declared Value (IDV) of the vehicle.

The pricing is contingent on factors like vehicle age, state or city of vehicle registration, (geographical zone), cubic capacity and segment, and no claim history of vehicle, says Sanjay Kumar, vice-president & head, Motor – underwriting, Bharti AXA General Insurance.