BENGALURU:An insurance firm, which honoured a claim partially after considerable delay, was declared guilty of deficiency in service by the Bengaluru Rural and Urban First Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here recently.
Sixty-one-year-old Renu Goyal from Vidyaranyapura had obtained a travel insurance medical policy before travelling to Australia in June 2016. While in Germany, Renu suddenly fell sick and had to be admitted to a private hospital. On the following day — June 17, 2016 — she was discharged as a battery of tests had declared her healthy.
On returning to India, she submitted a hospital bill of Rs 1,67,994 in August 2016. Frustrated over the delay in honouring of claim, Renu filed a complaint with in the consumer forum against Mumbai-based Karvat Group of Companies and United India Insurance Company in November 2016. The insurance firm, deposing before the forum, declared that the delay in processing the claim was due to lack of documents which Renu had failed to furnish. As the complainant had obtained treatment in a foreign country, it required some time to settle the claim.
The consumer forum observed that the insurance firm had paid an amount of Rs 1,52,737 in February 2017, which was acknowledged by the complainant in an affidavit. But the amount paid was less by a few thousand rupees (Rs 8,527.93) when compared to her claim of Rs 1,67,994.
The forum directed the insurance firm to pay an amount of Rs 8,527.93 at 12 per cent interest. The firm was also asked to pay 12 per cent interest on Rs 1,61,264 for having taken two additional months to settle the claim and an additional Rs 15,000 for litigation expenses.