A car insurance policy safeguards you and your car against other damages. You must know about the inclusions and the kind of damages that a car insurance policy covers. The most common inclusion of every car insurance is a cover against natural disasters.
Natural disasters are unpredictable calamities of nature. They can happen due to various reasons, but the primary reason is a disbalance in nature. Common natural disasters include earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc. While some natural disasters are unexpected, some of them are season based. For instance, you cannot predict an earthquake but expect the flood to increase during the rainy season if the city is located by the sea or a river.
Any car insurance policy protects you from the damages caused to the vehicle because of any natural disaster. However, you should check with your insurance provider once if they cover damages caused by natural disasters. While comprehensive car insurance safeguards you from natural calamities, third-party insurance does not. Hence, you must try to buy a comprehensive insurance policy if you want coverage for natural disasters.
Coverage for Natural Calamities
Most car insurance policies cover the damages caused by natural calamities like floods, cyclones, hurricanes, etc. Therefore, you should go ahead with comprehensive car insurance policies to protect your car from natural disasters.
A comprehensive car insurance policy is a contract between the insurance provider and the car owner. The former promises to cover the latter's liabilities towards car damages like loss due to natural disasters, fire, accidents, third-party damages, etc.
All comprehensive car insurance policies in India cover different kinds of natural and human-engineered disasters. Also, coverage for the damages caused due to a natural disaster is a part of the central policy. Hence, you don't need to buy them as add-ons to the central policy.
Let's try to understand the coverage of natural disasters with the help of an example. For instance, if a cyclone destroys your car in the city. You will have to spend a fortune to repair the vehicle. However, if you have a comprehensive car insurance policy and have paid the premiums regularly, the insurance provider will cover the cost of damages.
However, if you have only subscribed to third-party insurance, the provider will not pay for the damages caused by the cyclone.
This is because third-party car insurance only covers property damages and third-person liabilities. Therefore, to safeguard your car against natural disasters, you must buy a comprehensive car insurance policy. A standalone own damage car insurance policy is also an option, but that will not make you legally compliant as it does not come with a mandatory third-party liability cover.
How Does a Car Insurance Help During Natural Disasters?
A comprehensive car insurance policy is the best thing to your rescue when a natural disaster strikes. There are some benefits of a car insurance policy during a natural disaster. Some of these benefits include:
Cashless Claims
Several insurance providers provide a cashless claim benefit that can come in handy during a natural disaster. If your car sustains any damage during a natural disaster like an earthquake, you need to immediately reach out to your insurance provider and inform them about the issue. The insurance provider will arrange a pickup of your car and get it repaired at a nearby store. It will also settle the bills at their end, hence, providing you with a cashless experience.
Easy Inspection
When a natural disaster comes into the picture, the insurance provider sends someone to inspect the vehicle. While an inspection of the car is essential, you don't need to prove any additional proof to the inspector, as the occurrence of the disaster is proof.
The inspection of the car will be hassle-free. Post inspection, you can easily apply for a claim. If you have taken up comprehensive car insurance, you need to inform the insurance provider, and it will take care of everything else.
No-claim Bonus
The best thing about getting comprehensive car insurance is that you can enjoy the benefits of a claim bonus. Here, you can avail a discount on your premium payments if you have not raised any claims during the policy term. If your car insurance is renewed, you can quickly transfer the existing no-claim bonus to another policy.
Read more - How to Calculate NCB for Car Insurance
Raising a Claim in the Event of a Natural Disaster
If your car suffers any damage from a natural disaster, you can reach out to your car insurance provider and raise a car insurance claim. You can take a step-by-step approach to apply for the share.
- Collect evidence that supports the natural disaster. This evidence can include pictures and videos of the damages in the area, news articles, etc.
- Click pictures of your damaged car from different angles to support your claim.
- Don't try to move your car from its original position. Also, note the time when the disaster occurred. Keep the details of the catastrophe handy with you.
- Reach out to your insurance provider and inform them about the disaster and the damages caused to your car.
- The insurance provider will send an inspector to evaluate the damages sustained by the car. Post inspection, the surveyor will create a report based on which the claim will be processed.
- The insurance provider will arrange a pickup for your damaged car and take it to a garage for repair.
- You need to submit the car and insurance documents to process the claim.
- Post repair, you can collect the car from the garage
- If you have opted for a cashless settlement, the insurer will directly pay the repair amount to the garage. In case of a reimbursement claim, you will have to pay for the repair, and the company will reimburse you the amount as soon as you submit the bills.
Add-ons for Natural Disaster Coverage
Some places in India are prone to natural disasters. Hence, the chances of damage to the vehicles in those areas are pretty high.
For instance, floods are common in Patna, Mumbai, etc. In these areas, there is always a risk of destruction. Also, with the frequency of these disasters, your car can suffer immense damage.
The damage can be massive, and there are chances that the comprehensive car insurance policy will not cover these damages. Hence, buying some car insurance add-ons and your central policy to cover these damages is better.
Add-ons provide additional protection at a small charge. Some common add-ons that can help you in a disaster include engine protection cover, cover for consumables, etc.
Read more - Different Types of Car Insurance Policies and Add-on Covers
Key Takeaways
Natural disasters can cause heavy damage to your car. Fortunately, a comprehensive car insurance policy safeguards your car from damages caused because of a natural calamity. You can contact your insurance provider to know more about the coverage. Also, if you want additional protection, you can buy relevant add-ons.
