Monsoon can be perilous for your car. Potholes can take a toll on the car’s suspension and driving in heavy rains makes the car susceptible to accidents. Apart from this, flooding in cities is becoming a common occurrence. If you reside in a flood-prone area, your car is vulnerable to damages related to flood water entering the engine. However, being proactive and purchasing the right car insurance policy can help you overcome financial losses arising out of such damages. Read ahead to know how to claim insurance for your flood-damaged car.

Ideal Car Insurance Policy

You will not be able to raise a car insurance claim for damages due to flood if you have just purchased the Third-party Liability motor car insurance policy. You need to have a Comprehensive Motor Car Insurance Policy in order to claim for damages caused to your car. The exact inclusions and exclusions of your policy will determine whether your car insurance claim is accepted or not.

Common Damage

Low-lying areas in cities such as Mumbai are prone to waterlogging every monsoon. Your car can be affected by flooding while you are driving or when it is parked. A car’s engine can get damaged when it is cranked while the car is still surrounded by or affected by flood water. Do not attempt to turn on the car’s ignition. Disconnect the car’s battery and get it towed to the nearest garage.

Attempting to forcefully start the car can damage the engine. It can trigger a short circuit in the car’s electrical system. The car’s radiator can also face issues. Hydrostatic lock is the most common reason for car insurance claims during the monsoon season. Such a situation occurs when water enters your car’s engine and stalls it. Some insurance companies have specific Add-ons to address such concerns.

Claims Process

Mentioned below is the general claims process followed in case of a flood-damaged car.

  • Get in touch with your insurance company. Calling them is the most fruitful option. You can inform them about the damages through email or their mobile App as well.
  • Based on your policy number and corresponding insurance coverage, the executive will let you know whether you are eligible to raise a claim for the issue or not.
  • Explain to the insurance company’s executive about the extent of the damage and other relevant details. Be honest and descriptive while giving information. Details such as, was the car parked or was it in motion, the area where it got flooded, etc. need to be shared upfront.
  • You will be assigned a Claim Registration Number. This unique number shall be used for further correspondence with the insurance company regarding your claim.
  • The insurance company might arrange for the vehicle to be towed to the nearest garage.
  • A surveyor shall be assigned to check and verify the extent of the damage. The surveyor may quiz you about the damage in depth. Coordinate with the surveyor by answering all the questions promptly.
  • Once satisfied with the answers and the verification, the surveyor shall send the report to the insurance company and your claim’s value will be conveyed to you. You can discuss the same and agree on it once you are satisfied with the reasoning given for arriving at the amount.
  • The claim shall be settled depending on whether the garage is a part of the insurance company’s network of garages or not. If it is a network garage, the claim will be settled between the garage and the insurance company. You will have to shell out a nominal amount. If it is not a network garage, you will have to get the bill reimbursed from the insurance company.

Being Patient

If it is a digital-first insurer, your claim should be processed quickly. Otherwise, the claims process might take a while, especially if there are multiple parties involved. While there is nothing wrong in following up on your claim application, being patient will help you to maintain your sanity till your claim is processed.

By Chakraborty

Dr Chakrabarty is the Chief Innovation Officer of IntuiComp TeraScience. Earlier she was Assistant Professor of Delhi University, a QS ranked university in India. Before that she has held research positions in IIT Mumbai, IIT Chennai and IISc Bangalore. She holds 2 patents and over 20 research publications in her name which are highly cited. Her area of research is in smart technologies, integrated devices and communications. She also has a penchant for blogging and is an editor of Business Fundas.