RESTARTING STALLED VEHICLE IN FLOODED AREA MAGNIFIES DAMAGE

 

Restarting stalled vehicle in flooded area magnifies damage

In such areas, engine protection, zero depreciation, and roadside assistance riders are must-haves

Engine and gearbox protection

A comprehensive motor insurance policy includes a third-party (TP) cover and an own-damage (OD) cover. While a TP cover, which is mandatory, covers your against liabilities arising due to damage to a third person, the OD cover offers protection against damage to the vehicle caused by natural and manmade disaster. To offer adequate protection against flooding, a comprehensive policy needs to be supplemented with multiple riders.

Flooding can cause the engine to stall. When this happens, people often turn on the ignition repeatedly to restart the car. This allows water to get into the engine and causes it to seize up permanently. A comprehensive policy will not cover this damage, caused not by an impact but by an act of the driver. Hence, you need to buy an engine protection cover.

Zero depreciation

Many parts of the engine or body may have to be replaced during repairs. A comprehensive policy will not reimburse the full cost of those parts.

Depreciation is applied based on the car’s age. A 50 per cent depreciation could be applied to a five-year-old vehicle.

To avoid paying out of your pocket, you need a zero depreciation cover. It allows the total cost of the car’s damaged parts to be claimed, without any depreciation being applied based on age or type of part.

Roadside assistance cover

If the road you are travelling on is waterlogged do not try to cross it. If your engine stalls in a waterlogged area, do not try to restart it. Exit the car and call for your vehicle to be towed.

 

Consumables cover

During repairs after flooding, consumables like engine oil and gear oil may have to be replenished. The cost of such consumables can easily mount to Rs 2000-5000. Buying this cover can help you avoid this cost.

 

Once the car gets submerged

Once your vehicle gets flooded, exit it along with the other passengers. Doing so can cause severe damage to the vehicle’s electrical and mechanical systems, which might damage the car and could void your insurance coverage.

Instead of trying to start the vehicle yourself, you should arrange to have it towed to a workshop.

Take photographs or videos of the submerged vehicle at the site to document the extent of damage. Once the water has receded, disconnect the battery power.

Next, notify your insurer. Policyholders should not delay claim intimation.

The insurer will then appoint a surveyor. The surveyor will inspect your car and assess the damage. Once the assessment is ready, the garage can be asked to start repair work.

Have the vehicle taken to a network garage, if one is available nearby. The insurer will directly settle the bill with the garage, and the insured will only need to pay any deductible or non-covered expenses, if applicable.

If no network garage is available, you will have to pay the bills and submit them to the insurer. The documents you need to submit include photos (of the submerged car), a copy of the policy, and anything else the insurer requests.

The insurer will reimburse the covered expenses after reviewing the documents. One should not start repairs without the insurer’s approval as this can affect the claims process.

Finally, exercise patience. Their firm’s claims department has set up a special cell at their Egmore office in Chennai. Other insurers would have done the same. Nonetheless, with garages and insurers witnessing a surge of customers, there could be some delay in claim settlement and repairs.

 

 

For More Details: Pooja Manoj Gupta, visit www.giia26.com
Email: pmgiia26.com Mobile  9868944340