Five Reasons Why Car Insurance Claims Get Rejected

A car accident is one of the worst nightmares of any car owner, as it brings with it monetary damages and a lot of stress. Thanks to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, car insurance is mandatory in India and most of the expenses are taken care of by the insurance companies. However, in many instances vehicle owners find their motor insurance claims rejected and are left high & dry, bearing huge expenses out of their own pockets.

Auto insurance providers have often been criticised for rejecting claims to avoid a hefty payout. However, that’s not the case always! A lot of car insurance claims are rejected due to negligence and mistakes of the policy owners.

Here are a few important oversights (intentional & unintentional) that can lead to motor insurance claim rejection:

• Driving under the influence (DUI)

Driving Under the Influence or DUI can drag you into a world of trouble as it is not only a reason for car insurance claim rejection but also a prosecutable crime. Be it alcohol or banned/controlled substances, any indication of their use while driving leads to instant rejection of your motor insurance claim. Besides the claim rejection, you might even find yourself facing a lot of legal heat leading to fines, imprisonment or even both. Bottom line: “Don’t Drink & Drive!”

• Driving without a valid driving licence

Driving without a valid license is a punishable offence and can lead car insurance claim rejection straightaway. In case of an accident, you won’t even be able to raise a claim with your insurance provider if you’re found without a proper driving license. Not only you will lose out on the motor insurance claim but also likely to be fined a minimum of ₹5,000.

• Delay in reporting the accident

An intimation to the car insurance service provider at the earliest is the best thing to do when filing for claims. Most insurance companies offer a grace period for the reporting process, but it’s always better to intimate the company ASAP. Delay in the accident reporting leads to a more complicated car insurance claim settlement process and often results in 100% claim rejection as well.

• Policy in someone else’s name

In numerous cases, drivers are often found with car insurance policy papers in someone else’s name. Although a few drivers turn out to have done so intentionally, many are found to be simply careless or forgetful.

This primarily happens in the case of used or second-hand cars. Ensure that you transfer the existing car insurance policy as well as the registration certificate (RC) in case of second-hand cars. In the event of a car accident, the insurance provider reserves the right to reject your auto insurance claim if your name is different on the policy papers.

• Use of vehicle beyond the geographical limitations

The Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA) has divided the metro cities and other Indian regions into two separate zones to make it easy for policy owners to file for a claim.

Zone A is for the metros and Zone B for the rest of the country. Depending upon the zone covered under your car insurance policy, you are entitled to make a motor insurance claim in that particular zone.

However, if an accident takes place in the non-covered zone, then your insurance claim is liable for rejection. For example, if the accident occurs on foreign soil, such as the Maldives, Sri Lanka or Pakistan, then your auto insurance claim will be rejected.

• General wear and tear

  Your vehicle is bound to experience wear and tear over time with continuous use. While this is inevitable, it’s still not covered by your car insurance.. Even if you have opted for a comprehensive car insurance policy, any motor insurance claim against wear and tear is bound to get rejected.