Keeping your car insured is one of the best ways to remain financially protected against damages to your vehicle due to accidents, collisions, theft, calamities, riots, etc. However, there may be situations where you fail to renew your car insurance in time due to any reason and your car gets involved in an accident. In a situation like this, you won’t be getting any coverage for any damages caused to the car.
Moreover, renewing your insurance after your vehicle has been involved in an accident can be a complex process. In this article, let’s take a look at the exact steps you can follow to renew your car insurance after an accident in India:
Steps to Renew Car Insurance After An Accident (If Your Insurance Has Expired)
In case your car is involved in an accident after your original car insurance policy has expired, you won’t be eligible to make any claims or get any coverage for the damages caused to the car.
In order to take care of the repair expenses on your damaged car, you will have to shell out the funds out of your pocket. If you wish to renew car insurance for your vehicle after the accident, here are the exact steps you can follow:
Step 1: Contact your current car insurance provider or a new insurance provider.
Step 2: Take a look at the car insurance plans available online and determine which is the best plan for your requirements
Step 3: Since your car has already been involved in an accident, the insurance company may appoint a surveyor to examine the condition of your car.
Step 4: Based on the surveyor’s assessment, the premiums and the IDV for your car will be determined.
Step 5: You can then pay the insurance premiums and submit the necessary documents, and your car insurance will be renewed in no time.
Steps to Renew Car Insurance After an Accident (If Your Insurance is Active)
If your car has been involved in an accident and your motor insurance plan is still active, you can make an insurance claim for your car for the damages caused. Once your insurance claims are settled and the insurance amount is paid, you will need to renew your car insurance plan when it gets near the expiry date. Here are the steps you can follow to renew the plan:
Step 1: Inform your current insurance provider or a new insurance provider about your intent to renew your insurance plan.
Step 2: You can choose to continue with the same or upgrade to a different car insurance policy.
Step 3: The insurance company will appoint a surveyor to examine your car and determine its current condition.
Step 4: Based on the assessment from the surveyor, the premiums for your car will be set.
Step 5: Once you pay the premiums for your car insurance renewal plan, your car insurance will be renewed as soon as your current plan gets exhausted.
Note: You can also do the car insurance renewal online through your car insurance provider’s website.
How to Claim Car Insurance After an Accident?
In case your car is involved in an accident, you must immediately inform your insurer about the accident and the extent of the damage caused. You must record all the details of the accident, and information about the third party involved in the accident. You should then ideally take your car to a network garage affiliated with your insurance provider. The network garage will take care of the repairs and you won’t have to pay huge sums of money and manage expenses from your pocket.
The insurer will directly settle the cost of the repairs with the network garage. If you choose to get the car repaired on your own, you can apply for a reimbursement claim. In either case, make sure all the necessary paperwork and documentation are in order.
To Conclude
As per the New Motor Vehicles Act, 2019, driving without valid car insurance or expired insurance is punishable with heavy fines or imprisonment. Make sure you keep your car insurance plan renewed on time so that you do not have to deal with the financial and legal obligations involved. If you cannot get your car insurance renewed on time, avoid driving your car till you renew the insurance plan or buy a new one. While a third-party plan is mandatory by law, you will ideally need comprehensive car insurance if you want to keep your car protected against damages financially.
