Motor Insurance

To enjoy continued benefits of a motor insurance plan, it is necessary to renew an insurance policy before the due date. If not, your insurance policy will lapse and will no longer cover your motor vehicle, until you get a new insurance policy or make the renewal.

You can renew your motor insurance policy in two ways:

• Online renewal:Online renewal of a motor insurance policy can be done on an insurer’s website. You just need to follow the steps to renew a policy. Keep your old insurance policy documents handy, in case you want to refer the old policy number.

Steps To Renew Motor Insurance Online:

• Visit the insurer’s website.
• Select renewal of a policy.
• Provide your login credentials.
• Fill the application form that you receive. Furnish accurate details. Keep the old policy handy as the application form will require old car insurance details.
• Once you have finished filling the form, make the submission online.
• Pay the premium for policy renewal through credit or debit cards.
• Take a printout of the acknowledgement, for the policy renewal request.

Online renewal of motor insurance has its own perks. You get notified on your due dates, well in time. So, you tend to avoid delays in renewing your motor insurance plan.

• Offline renewal: Offline renewal is quite simple. Time is the only constraint. If you can find the time, the rest is simple.
  For offline renewal, you have to visit your insurer’s branch. It is good to carry your old motor insurance policy papers along.

The motor Insurance policy is very comprehensive vehicle insurance, as mandated by the government, which covers you for:

• Any Loss or damage to your vehicle
• Third Party Liability
• Any permanent injury / death to a person caused by your car.
• Any damage caused to the property (excluding vehicle) of some other individual by your vehicle.
• A Personal Accident Cover for the owner of the vehicle while he is driving.

In case of loss or damage to the vehicle or the accessories insured, the Insurance Company covers the insured if the accident occurs due to the following hazards:

• Fire, explosion, self ignition or lightning
• Burglary, housebreaking or theft
• Riot and strike
• Flood, typhoon, hurricane, storm, tempest, inundation, cyclone, hailstorm, frost
• Accident by external means
• Malicious act
• Terrorist activity
• Whilst in transit by road rail inland-waterway lift elevator or air
• Landslide and rockslide

The insured is adequately covered in case of an occurrence due to the specified hazards leading to bodily injury/ permanent disability or death. The motor insurance policy essentially has a PA cover for the owner-driver, as per tariff, for which no extra premium is to be paid. For a person other than the owner and driver, the PA cover has to be taken separately paying an additional premium. The amount paid as compensation depends upon the extent of cover opted for. And for the driver, the extent of the cover is in accordance with the Work men's Compensation Act.

If the person driving the vehicle is a valid license holder, the vehicle is insured for all the accidents that occurred due to the hazards specified. To insure the person driving the vehicle, who is not the owner; an additional personal accident cover has to be taken for unnamed passengers. For the owner-driver, the policy compulsorily has a personal accident cover, as per tariff. To know more about the owner-driver clause in your motor insurance policy, call us on 022 61816111.

You can insure your vehicle accessories under electrical and non- electrical items (accessories) whose amount is not included in the showroom price of the vehicle but are fitted separately to the vehicle. For that you need to declare the value of such items separately, which will be added to the sum insured over and above the IDV. (Insured's Declared Value).

You will need to submit a claim form along with the following:

• A copy of the vehicle's registration book.
• A copy of the driving license of the person driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
• An estimate of the repairs.
• A copy of the police FIR in case of theft or any third party personal injury/death or property damage. If the vehicle is declared a total loss, either due to an accident or theft, you will also have to provide the following documents - RTO transfer papers, original RC book, original Insurance policy, the vehicle's original keys, a no objection certificate from you for transfer of the vehicle, a letter of indemnity on judicial stamp paper and a letter of subrogation on judicial stamp paper.

As soon as your vehicle meets with an accident or injures a third party or damages the property of a third party, inform your insurance company. If your vehicle is involved in an accident which injures a third party or damages a third party's property, you must report the matter to the police. If your vehicle is stolen and/or has been damaged by miscreants, terrorists or arsonists report the matter to the police and obtain a FIR (First Information Report). Take the vehicle to a reputed workshop for repair and get a repair estimate from the workshop. Submit the estimate to the insurance company. A surveyor from the insurance company will come for an inspection of the vehicle, and to assess the cost of restoring the vehicle to its pre-accident condition. Based upon the surveyor's report, the insurance company will make a final settlement of the estimate and the deal is closed. To know the parameter's to be considered, before choosing an motor insurance plan, call us on 022 61816111.

Third Party Liability insurance is mandatory for all vehicles plying on public roads in India. This covers Liability for injuries and damages to others that you are responsible for. In addition, it is prudent to cover loss or damages to the vehicle itself by way of Comprehensive/Package policy, which covers both "Liability" as well as "Own damage" to the insured vehicle. Liability Only cover is also known as Act Only cover.

Many factors determine the premium you will pay. For Own Damage cover different insurance companies charge different premiums for similar coverage. Shop around; getting three or more comparison quotes is worthwhile. Check various insurers's websites; it will help you compare premiums. Do not forget to compare deductibles, coverage and IDV's as premium may be lesser of one insurer but with higher deductibles, lower coverage and lower IDV, which will adversely impact you in the event of claim settlement. Be prepared to give your agent information about the following items that are commonly used to determine your premium: Vehicle registration details with Engine No., Chasis no., Class of vehicle, cubic capacity, seating capacity, etc. (In fact, all relevant details are in the RC book/card and a copy of same may be handed over) Tax paid details; Certificate of fitness, Driver details - age, gender, qualifications, licence validity Previous insurance history, if any. The Own Damage coverage is left to be rated by individual insurance companies after duly filing rates with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. The same is determined on following factors amongst others -- Age of vehicle; Discounts / loadings- Appropriate Bonus / loading/ discounts along with past claims experience are taken into account while calculating premium. IDV (Insured Declared Value). Third Party Liability Premium rates are laid down by IRDA. In case of break in insurance, vehicle inspection would be required and extra charges will have to be incurred for the same.

The sum insured for the vehicle is called "Insured's Declared Value" and should reflect the current market value of the vehicle. Under Liability insurance, Third Party Liability insurance is covered. There is unlimited coverage to Third parties injury and Third party property damage is covered up to a sum of Rs 7,50,000. The Insured has the option to restrict coverage for Third Party Property damage to Rs 6,000 and this will result in a lower "Liability Only" premium.

A motor policy is usually valid for a period of one year and has to be renewed before the due date. Pay the premium on time. No Insurer offers a grace period for paying the premium. In case of lapse of policy by even one day, the vehicle has to be inspected. Moreover, if a comprehensive policy is allowed to lapse for more than 90 days, the accrued benefit of NCB (No Claim Bonus) is also lost.

No Claim Bonus (NCB) is the benefit accrued to an insured for not making any claims during the previous policy period. As per current norms in India, it ranges from 20% on the Own Damage premium (and not on Liability premium) and progressively increases to a maximum of 50%. If, however, a claim is lodged, the No Claim Bonus is lost in the subsequent policy period. NCB is given to the insured and not to the insured vehicle. Hence, on transfer of the vehicle, the insurance policy can be transferred to new owner but not the NCB. The new owner has to pay the difference on account of NCB for the balance policy period.The original owner can, however, use the NCB on a new vehicle purchased by him.

Yes, you can avail of the NCB facility if you change the insurer on renewal. You would have to produce proof of the NCB earned by way of renewal notice from the current insurer. Alternately, you can produce your original, expiring policy along with a certification that you have lodged no claims on the expiring policy. For this the proof can be in the form of a renewal notice or a letter confirming the NCB entitlement from the previous insurer.

In addition to NCB, there are additional discounts available under Own Damage Premium for membership of Automobile Association of India, Vintage Cars (Pvt. Cars certified by the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India); Installation of anti-theft devices approved by Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune and whose installation is approved by AAI; Concessions for specially designed/modified vehicles for the Blind, Handicapped and mentally challenged persons, which are suitably endorsed in the RC by the RTA concerned; - opting for voluntary additional deductible/excess. Under "Liability Only Section", discounts are available for reduction in Third Party Property Damage (TPPD) from Rs. 750,000 to Rs. 6,000..

Yes, Service Tax is applicable and would be as per prevailing rule of law.

Deductible or "excess" is the amount over and above, which the claim will be payable. There is a normal standard/compulsory excess for most vehicles ranging from Rs 50 for two-wheelers to Rs 500 for Private Cars and Commercial Vehicles which increases depending upon the cubic capacity/carrying capacity of the vehicle. However, in some cases the insurer may impose additional excess depending upon the age of the vehicle or if there is high frequency of claims.

If there are any changes in the policy like change of address or modifications to the vehicle or its use, it will be done by an Endorsement by the insurance company. Submit a letter to the insurer with proof for the changes and obtain the endorsement. Some endorsements may require you to pay additional premium. Check the correctness of the endorsement.

For the purpose of applying premium rate, the place where the vehicle is registered is reckoned (not the place where the vehicle is used). If your vehicle is registered in Chennai, the rate applicable for Zone A is charged. Even when you shift to a different city / town, the same rate will continue to be applied. Similarly if a vehicle is registered in a town, it attracts Zone B premium rate. Subsequently if the owner shifts to a metro, he will continue to be charged the Zone B rate.

As per Rule 141 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, a certificate of Insurance is to be issued only in Form 51. It is only in Motor Vehicle Insurance, apart from the policy, that a separate certificate of insurance is required to be issued by insurers. This document should always be carried in the vehicle. The policy should be preserved separately at home / office.

If a CNG / LPG kit is fitted in the vehicle, the (Road Transport Authority (RTA) office where the vehicle was registered should be informed so that they make a note of the change in the registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle. The insurance company should also be informed so that the kit is covered on payment of extra premium on the value of the kit under "OD" section and also under "LO" section.

Yes, the insurance can be transferred to the buyer of the vehicle, provided the seller informs in writing of such transfer to the insurance company. A fresh proposal form needs to be filled in. There is a nominal fee charged for transfer of insurance along with pro-rata recovery of NCB from the date of transfer till policy expiry. It may be noted that transfer of ownership in comprehensive/package policies has to be recorded within 14 days from date of transfer failing which no claim will be payable for own damage to the vehicle.

No. Registration and insurance of the vehicle should always be in the same name with the same address. Otherwise the claim is not payable. A fresh proposal form needs to be filled in. There is a nominal fee charged for transfer of insurance.

Yes, please approach the same office, which had issued the policy, with a written request. A nominal fee is charged for issuing a duplicate policy copy.

Generally, the following documents are required to be submitted. However, read through your policy to see the complete list - duly filled in claim form, RC copy of the vehicle, Original estimate of loss, Original repair invoice and payment receipt. In case cashless facility is availed, only repair invoice would need to be submitted and FIR, if required. For theft claims, the keys are to be submitted. Theft claims would also require non-traceable certificate to be submitted.