How important is it to have your car insurance policy with you? Very important – that’s the answer! Driving your car without your car insurance can have serious repercussions, to say the least. This is exactly why you should get a duplicate one immediately if you lose the original one or if it gets stolen.
The Purpose of a Duplicate Insurance Policy
Let us assume that you met with an accident, which led to damages done to your car as well as the third-party car. Now when you go to a cashless garage and get the repair work done, if you do not have the insurance papers with you, the company may decline to settle the claim.
Moreover, if you have lost your insurance policy, then no company will complete the car insurance claim settlement process for you.
Paying out of your own pocket even after paying premiums for your insurance can be a big bummer. You don’t want to be in that spot. So, the best thing to do here would be to get a duplicate of your policy as soon as you know that you have lost your original copy.
How to Get a Duplicate Car Insurance Policy?
You can do this either via online or through the offline process. First, we will take you through the offline process.
1. Notify your service provider
First things first, you need to notify your insurer about the loss of your policy papers. For this, you can either use the company’s toll-free number or send them a mail. Note that it is very important to inform your service provider about the loss of policy papers without any delays so that they can start the process of issuing the duplicate quickly.
2. File an FIR
You then need to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the police. You can do this either through the police department’s online portal or by visiting your local police station. Once you have your FIR, send a copy of the same along with the required documents to the insurance company. This will not only justify your position but also ensure faster paperwork.
3. Publish a newspaper advertisement
You also need to publish an advertisement in a state newspaper for your loss of insurance papers. This is a standard practice to do in such cases. Note that you will have to bear the expenses of the advertisement.
4. Procure an indemnity bond
This is another step that you must complete. Get an indemnity bond that consists of your full name and signatures of two witnesses. The bond must definitely be undersigned by an authorized notary. Here too, you will have to bear the expenses of the stamp paper and the corresponding proceedings. Note that you cannot get duplicate insurance without an indemnity bond.
5. Submit an application to the service provider
Along with all the documents, you need to submit a formal application to your service provider in which you are asking for a duplicate car insurance policy. Now, keep in mind that it is to be done even after you have notified the company in the first place via call or mail.
6. Get the duplicate via post
Once all your documents are verified without any hiccups, you will receive the duplicate insurance via post.
So, this was the traditional procedure of getting a duplicate insurance policy. Now let’s look at the new-age method where you can do it online.
Download the Insurance Plan Online
Here is the method that enables you to complete the process without having to get out of your bed. If you had purchased the car insurance policy online, you can simply download the policy again by completing a few steps. So, here they are:
- Visit the website of the insurance service provider from whom you bought the insurance.
- Login to your account and then fill in all the required details, right from the insurance policy number to your personal details.
- You can click ‘download policy document’.
- Post this, the company will send a mail to your registered email ID.
- Simply download the policy, and get it printed.
Lost the Details of Your Old Policy? Get a New One Online Easily!
If in case you have lost your insurance paper and its important details like the policy number and the date of issuance, are you busted? You surely cannot drive your car around without insurance for it. So, what can you do? You should not worry because you can simply buy a new insurance policy online within minutes.
Most big insurance companies now have their own online portal from where you can purchase the policy that best suits your needs. You can get any kind of policy, be it a third-party liability policy or an own damage policy, or a comprehensive one. Just make sure that you compare different policies online before buying one to get the best deal.
Conclusion
We would like to remind you once more that it is better to drive a car with a copy of your insurance. Having policy papers with you will not only save you from hefty fines but will also make your claim settlement process much easier than otherwise. So, get duplicate insurance now if you have lost yours!
