How Third-Party Car Insurance Can Be Claimed?

In India, private vehicles are one of the most preferred methods for travelling. Most individuals rely on their personal mode of transportation to deal with their long-distance or daily commutes. While owning a car for travelling can be an optimal option for you, you must ensure your vehicle does not cause harm to any property or individuals on the road. If you wish to ensure the protection of third parties on the road, you must follow the road rules and get third-party car insurance.

As per the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA), it is a legal compulsion for every car owner to own a third-party car insurance policy. Third-party car insurance plans are designed to protect third parties from damages. Driving without a third-party car insurance policy can lead to hefty fines. Therefore, purchasing a third-party car insurance plan can protect you from legal issues.

However, simply purchasing the plan won’t suffice. For instance, If you’re a car owner in Ahmedabad, It is important that you purchase car insurance in Ahmedabad after careful research about the available plans and learn about the third-party claim process and how it works. To learn more about the various type of car Insurance ranging from; compulsory pure third party car insurnace to comprehensive first class car Insurance, check out this quick comparison guide. This will help you better figure out what is the right one for your needs and requirements.

How Do Third-Party Car Insurance Claims Work?

If a policy owner has met with an accident, the insurance company will offer financial assistance to deal with the cost of repairs to any third parties. Likewise, if you have accidentally damaged any third-party property or injured any third parties, your car insurance policy for third parties would provide you with financial assistance to deal with the injuries or damages.

Once the insurance company files the claim, the insurance company will appoint a surveyor to analyse the damages and verify the estimated repair costs. Once the verification is finished, the insurance company will settle the claim.

Third-party Car Insurance claim process

If you have damaged any third-party’s property or injured any third-party with your car, you must follow the steps below for filing a car accident insurance claim for third parties:

1. File an FIR: You or the third party must lodge an FIR at the local police station and get a charge sheet. Filing an FIR is an important step to ensure a safe claim process.
2. Provide a copy of your insurance document: You will have to provide a copy of your insurance policy to the third party to be used for filing a claim.
3. Inform your insurer: You must inform your insurance company about the event and provide all the details about the incident.
4. Claim settlement: All the third-party claims are settled in the MACT (Motor Accident Claims Tribunal), and the third party must file a case at the tribunal closest to them to estimate the claim amount and finalise it. Your insurer will handle the claim amount once the amount has been calculated.

If a third party has damaged your vehicle or injured you with their car, you must follow the steps given below:

1. File an FIR: You must file an FIR at the police station and get the charge sheet during the time of the damage.
2. Gather evidence: You must gather all the necessary evidence and proof to prove the mistake of the third party. Your evidence can include photographic evidence, medical reports, treatment charges receipt or any report indicating your injuries. You can also list down the names of all the witnesses available and their numbers to help your insurance claims.
3. Get insurance details of the third party: You must get the insurance policy details from a third party. This information will help you file a claim with the insurance company.
4. Get a motor claims lawyer: You must hire a claims lawyer and raise a compensation claim in the MACT.
5. Claim settlement: The tribunal court will decide to accept or reject the claim after analysing the documents and details provided by both sides.

Documents necessary for third-party insurance claim

For a smooth third-party car insurance claim, you must provide all the necessary documents. Listed below are the documents you may need for filing a third-party claim:

1. Filed and signed claim form.
2. Copy of the FIR.
3. Copy of your driving license.
4. Copy of the initial pages of the policy.
5. Copy of your car’s registration certificate.

The third party can also provide the documents they think can be useful, like photographs and other proofs. Some cases may also require the inspection officer’s report, bills and the surveyor’s analysis report. For example, if any individuals were injured, you’d have to provide the medical bills or the documentation of the injuries.

Mistakes you must avoid when filing a third-party claim

It is easy to make a few mistakes during an accident. However, these mistakes can lead to heavy financial damages in the future. Here are a few mistakes you must avoid when filing a third-party claim:

1. Don’t run away from the accident spot.
2. Don’t forget to inform the police.
3. Don’t drive under the influence of intoxicants like alcohol or drugs.
4. Don’t drive the vehicle without the necessary documents.
5. Don’t use the vehicle for commercial usage.

Conclusion

Learning about the third-party car insurance claim working and claim process will help you get the financial assistance quickly or offer your policy’s assistance to a third party smoothly. It would be better if you learned about this process at the time of the purchase. If you’re filing the claim, you mustn’t make any mistakes like running away from the spot of the incident and providing all the necessary documents.