A comprehensive Guide to Insurance Claims for Flood-Damaged Cars

Natural disasters fall upon us without any prior warning and leave a trail of disaster behind. We never get time to prepare for it. One of the major disasters that India faces is during its monsoon season. Floods are a frequent occurrence during this season especially in areas like Kerala, Mumbai, etc.

Not only do properties get damaged during the floods but your car also suffers damage especially to its body, windshield, engine, etc. Restoring the car is an expensive proposition. Thankfully, you can make a claim and recover the expenditure if you have taken a comprehensive policy for your car. Here, we walk you through a comprehensive guide to help you make your insurance claim successfully for your damaged car.

Tips for dealing with your damaged car

Foremost, you must deal with your flood-damaged car before you file for the claim. Your Private Car Leasing needs to be handled right so that you do not face any unnecessary objection for your claim approval. Few note-worthy tips include:

Never turn the ignition on or try to push-start your Cheap Used Cars if it is stuck in the water. It might cause a short circuit.
If your car has been flooded; it’s best not to crank the engine even after the flooded water has subsided. If the water has entered the engine, a hydrostatic lock might occur which may make the engine stall.
Instead of driving; it is safer to tow the car to a garage at the first opportunity. Preferably, you should disconnect the battery.
At the garage, ensure that the mechanics rust-proof the car.
Brakes and radiator fan motor of the car is most vulnerable to be affected by floods. Hence, they must be checked for any water entry and functionality.

Steps to file a car insurance claim

Now, we walk you through the steps of filing the car insurance claim with the insurance company. Stay hooked!

Foremost, you need to contact the insurance company by giving them a buzz on their Toll-Free or Landline number. You can find this number on your policy papers and even online on their website.
Once you get connected to the Car Insurance Company representative; you must furnish them with all the basic details of your car being flooded like where your car was parked, who was driving it or if it was in the garage mode, when and how did it break down and all such details that the representative might ask you.
The representative would register your case and give you a unique Claim Registration Number. This unique number is important and must be stored carefully. You will need to quote this number for any query or any kind of interaction with the insurance company. Your claim would also get approved under this number.
As per the given time frame, the insurance company will contact you and get your car towed at the scheduled time.
The insurance company would now assign a surveyor for your case who would be inspecting the extent of damage to your car. He would also consult in detail with the garage service team. After completing the process, he would inform you about the claim amount that the insurance company would pay for the damage repairs. You would need to bear the rest of the expenses.
Once, the surveyor has quoted you the amount, you need to cross verify and check that it is according to the scope of your car policy. You can check back with the surveyor for any queries or concerns. The surveyor would adjust the amount if justified.
Once both of you are in agreement, you need to sign the claim approval sheet provided by the surveyor or the garage expert team. Ensure that you have a copy of it.
You can now set a tentative timeline with the garage repair team after which you can expect your repaired car. During this waiting period, you can also seek updates of your car repair, if you so desire.
Once the garage team informs you of the completion of car repairs, you must check the car and verify that all stated repairs have executed and your car is back in top condition.
If you are satisfied with the repairs, you will need to pay the differential amount of the service charges. The insurance company would be paying the stated claim amount directly to the garage. You will be issued a final set of papers that you must sign and keep its copy for record purposes.
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Wrapping up

It is a boon to have a comprehensive car policy, especially at times when such unexpected disasters occur. They save you from costly car repairs. You must always renew it on time and ensure it has the required add-ons.