Although we tend to protect our cars from damage caused by accidents and theft, natural calamities such as floods and hailstorms are unpredictable and uncertain. Natural calamities often cause serious damage to personal assets, infrastructure, and automobiles. It gets worse if you reside in areas that are flood-susceptible. In such cases, opting for a comprehensive insurance policy is advisable. With the comprehensive insurance cover, You can raise claims once your car is partially or fully damaged.
The comprehensive policy will account for damages caused to your vehicle and any other third-party liabilities. For instance, it provides full coverage of your car, not to mention that you can have other add-ons like engine protection, roadside assistance, and zero depreciation. So besides covering flood-damaged cars, comprehensive insurance considerably lowers your financial risks. But how do you raise a car insurance claim once your vehicle is flood-damaged?
The Ultimate Guide to Car Insurance Claims
Avoid Further Damage
Once your car is wholly or partially submerged, it’s advisable to leave everything as is. Trying to salvage the vehicle can only result in further damage. For example, flood water might have resulted in a hydrostatic lock seeping into critical components –therefore, starting the car can further paralyze crucial components. In light of this, the insurance provider might file for negligence and fail to honor your claim.
Gather Relevant Evidence
How fast your insurer is going to process your claims based on the evidence at hand. It is, therefore, wise to gather as much evidence as possible prior to filing your claim. For instance, you can take various footage of your car having been submerged. You can also document video footage concerning the same.
Contact Your Insurer
Using a landline number or a toll-free contact, you can get in touch with your insurance company by calling them. This should be done as soon as possible. Your insurer will demand certain information concerning the incident, such as where you had packed your car, the date and time of flooding, plus additional information they’ll see fit.
Having recorded this information, the insurer may issue certain instructions and review critical details like deductibles and exclusions. If you follow such instructions to the latter, you increase the chance of your claim going through. They’ll also provide you with a follow-up number called the claim registration number, which you’ll use in your subsequent dealings with the company.
On the other hand, your insurer schedules a specific time to tow your car to the garage. That way, they can assign a claims adjustor whose task is to examine the damage extent and the claim incident and approximate the insurer’s liability to your vehicle. Once the garage inspection is complete, the insurer will inform you of the insured payable cost of damages to your car alongside the amount you’re bound to bear. Before your insurer issues a green light for repairs, you may have to wait for a couple of days while the inspection process goes on, depending on the damage extent to your car.
Keep in mind that the payable amount by the insurance company covers your car’s actual cash value. If your vehicle is totaled, you may have to negotiate with your insurer concerning its value. However, the key is ensuring that the claim approval is in accordance with your insurance policy coverage. In case of unattended issues, you should feel free to consult with your surveyor.
Wait For The Letter Of Authority
The insurance company will issue the letter of authority once they are done with their assessment and determine as liable for the wreck. The letter approves that your car will be serviced out of your insurer’s pockets. Additionally, the insurance company may process the LOA within three days to avoid more damage to the vehicle. In the event that the cost of repairs is higher than the car’s current value, your insurer will determine a befitting option.
While the repairs are in operation, you can check with the garage team for a timeline of when the repairs will be complete. Similarly, you can request constant updates on repair status and proceedings. You should be content with the quality of repair done. Only then must you pay the amount payable by you as indicated.
If you reside in areas highly susceptible to flooding, you’re more likely to have a flood-damaged car. Such areas include but are not limited to low-lying areas. Regardless of where your car is packed, flooding can considerably damage its various components, and knowing how to file an insurance claim in such cases is crucial.