Fire Damage? Your Car Insurance Has You Covered!

Finance

 

The increasing number of vehicles on the roads is resulting in severe problems of traffic snarls and congestions. But apart from these problems, there is an increased safety hazard for these vehicles too. These safety concerns can be in the form of accidents that might injure people or even mechanical damages that might cause fire and other electrical problems. These problems generally arise due to faults in production and manufacturing but not all vehicle manufacturers accept the responsibility for such defects. 

So what can you do as a customer? Use your car insurance policy

While you might have inhibitions whether damage due to fire and other perils is covered by your insurance policy.In this article, we explain how your insurance policy comes handy when there is fire damage to your car. 

What is covered by your car insurance policy?

A comprehensive car insurance plan covers the damages caused to your car, including fire perils. The damage due to fire can be either internal or external, to the wirings or electrical accessories of the vehicle. Fire damage is defined as the ignition of/or in your car with visible flames. Thus, other damages which may be caused due to overheating or short-circuit is not considered as damage by fire and covered by your insurance policy. 

What you should remember is that these damages due to fire are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy and not third-party liability insurance. If you have a comprehensive policy and it is proved that the damage was caused due to internal or external means, the same is covered by your claim. In other cases, if the damage is proven intentional, your claim request may get rejected. Another scenario where cars are set in flames during riots. A comprehensive insurance policy protects your car against these unexpected damages too. The insurance company will pay the insured declared value (IDV)of your vehicle in such a case. You can purchase comprehensive as well as third party car insurance online.

What is the process to file a claim due to damage by fire?

If your vehicle catches fire, the first step is to report to the police officials. First Information Report (FIR) needs to be filed reporting the incident. Next, you have to inform your insurance company. The insurer will arrange for a survey on the spot of the accident. This survey aids the process of claim settlement. When you make an application for a claim, you need to submit the copy of your FIR too. If the insurance company concludes that the mishap was a planned event, your claim shall get rejected. Only genuine cases of accidents can be claimed under your insurance plan. 

What are the scenarios of rejection of your claim?

Under the following circumstances, your claim is rejected by the insurance company – 

  • Any mechanical defects like oil or fuel leaks, overheating of the engine and other defects, high pressure at vulnerable parts.
  • Sparks of the car’s battery due to no support of accessories on your car. 
  • Short-circuit or sparks due to failure of the electric wiring system. 
  • Installation or replacement of LPG gas kits, air conditioners, etc.
  • Any tampering of the wiring to accommodate after-market accessories like woofers, amplifiers, headlamps, fog lamps, alarms, etc.

To protect against these various perils due to fire, make use of a car insurance policy. A car insurance calculator will help in comparing the premium prices of the plans that you can choose from. A comprehensive car insurance policy covers not only fire, but other damages due to accidents and theft. You can compare the myriad options and select a suitable plan with thelowest car insurance rates. So why wait, get comparing and insure your car with the perfect motor insurance policy to protect against any perils.