You might be an active holder of a car insurance policy. But what if your car gets stolen? Does your vehicle have proper coverage against cases of theft? Installing anti-theft devices do reduce the chances of car theft to a great extent, but it doesn’t, however, mean that your vehicle is free from any attempts of theft. An insurance plan that covers theft can help you in situations like these.

It is indeed a nightmare to imagine that your vehicle has been stolen. How will you make a claim in case a situation like this arises? As a policyholder, you must inform both your insurance company and the police to help you rescue from the crisis. Police as a representative of the car owner will further assist the insurance company in the entire process of claim settlement.

Which Insurance Plan Provides Coverage Against Theft?

How to Claim Insurance Cover In Case of Theft of Car?

It can be a heartbreaking incident when you are aware that your dream vehicle has been stolen. The sinking feeling is not only because of the loss of the car but also, due to the additional financial burden you have to bear in the purchase of a new car. It was special and expensive, and therefore, you can claim from your car insurance company to recover a considerable amount for buying a new one. When you take notice of this unpredicted incident, get ready to inform these three different bodies: your insurance company, the police station, and the Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Steps To Claim Insurance In Case of Theft of Your Car

Step 1: Once the car is stolen, the car owner must file a First Information Report (FIR) at the police station regarding the theft. The softcopy of this FIR report has to further submitted to the insurance company for the claim settlement procedure.

Step 2: An intimidation regarding the theft of the vehicle has to be informed to the RTO where the car was registered. Form number 28, 29, 30, and 35 need to be filled and submitted. In this method, the stolen vehicle cannot be re-registered under the RTO.

Step 3: The police will carry out an investigation for 90 days. If it is unable to trace your car within that period, then it will issue a non-traceable report declaring that they cannot track your vehicle.

Step 4: The matter will then be carried over to the court which will issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) declaring that the case can be transferred over to the insurance company, who can carry out the necessary procedures.

Step 5: After the NOC has been issued, the insurance company will then start an investigation from its side. In case the insurance company is unable to trace your car, it initiates the claim settlement process. Most of the car insurance companies have a responsive claim settlement team that administers and guides in critical times. Another important indicator is the Claim Settlement Ratio, which evaluates the reliability of an insurance company. After the police submit the final non-traceable report and the claim gets approved, the car owner must submit his copy of registration certificates, driving license, and car keys to the insurance company.

Documents Required For Claiming Insurance In Case of Theft of Your Car

To strengthen your claim application, it must be supported with relevant documentation. This includes the following -

• The original FIR copy filed at the police station
• Your car insurance policy documents
• Car registration certificates
• NOC (No Objection Certificate)
• The duly signed claimed form
• The non-traceable report issued by the police
• Car invoice
• The Registration Certificate of the car
• Valid driving licence
• Road tax receipt
• RTO forms duly signed, along with other necessary forms like 28, 29, 30 and 35
• Original keys of the car

If not original, then photocopies of all the mentioned documents must be submitted along with the claim application. Additionally, it is better to provide a photograph of your car to make the process more smooth.

How Much Compensation Will I Get for Theft of My Car?

The theft of a car is considered as a case of CTL or Constructive Total Loss. People generally have a misconception that they will be getting a reimbursement equivalent to the amount of the insured car in case of theft. This holds true only when they have an add-on in their car insurance policy with Return to Invoice. In such cases, the original purchase amount will be refunded to the car owner. But in case the add-on feature is not there, then the final reimbursement amount would be the current market value or the Insured Declared Value (IDV) of the stolen car minus the depreciation value of the vehicle. An old car is bound to have depreciation in its existing value. According to the guidelines of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, a car owner will get compensated following the terms and conditions of his prevalent car insurance policy.

For further reading:

5 Stages Of Buying Car Insurance Policy Online In India

Disclaimer: This article is issued in general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.

Source: Acko General Insurance