CHENNAI: Was your motor vehicle submerged in the flood? Better alert your insurance company or workshop, as any attempt to kick-start it may cause you to lose your claim under the Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Vehicles.
Public Sector Insurance officials caution people not to start their vehicles immediately after bringing them out of water as this may damage their engines. “As per norms, insurance companies should be informed about vehicles being submerged and we would send an official to estimate the damages. Vehicle owners may also approach workshops, which may tow the vehicles,” a senior United India Insurance official said.
“But attempting to start the engine could cause problems, which may not be covered under the Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Vehicles,” the official noted, adding that claims would be offered for vehicles based on their depreciation value.
So far, United India Insurance has received 250 claims under the Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Vehicles. The number of claims is likely to shoot up as the waters recedes and people return to their houses.
Another insurance major, The New India Assurance received 180 claim requests for cars, two-wheelers and trucks. “Of the 610 claims that our insurance company received, 180 fall under the motor vehicle insurance category for cars, two wheelers and trucks. It would be better if the owners whose vehicles were submerged or damaged in the floods inform us, as we can send our surveyor to evaluate the damage,” C Jegatheesan, regional manager of the company in Chennai told City Express.
Oriental Insurance Company received about 125 claims under the comprehensive insurance coverage in Chennai, of which the majority are cars. Most of the claims were from the southern parts of Chennai, sources said.
In some exceptional cases, insurance companies are considering the cases of a few vehicles that have not followed the norms for insurance claims, in the light of the unprecedented floods, sources claimed. In a bid to facilitate claim requests, four public sector insurance companies are jointly organising camps at nine locations across the city till December 11.