I wished recommendation on my motor insurance coverage protection. I purchased a sedan with low floor clearance about 4 months in the past. I dwell in Mumbai, and with the monsoon approaching, I’m apprehensive about driving my automobile throughout the rains, particularly since Mumbai faces flooding often. Will my complete motor insurance coverage cowl damages which can be brought on because of such flooding since I’ve heard that usually the automobile shuts off whereas driving throughout such floods?
Kamakshi
By Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz Basic Insurance coverage
A motor insurance coverage coverage usually combines two elements: Third-party legal responsibility and own-damage (OD). As you have to already know, a third-party legal responsibility cowl is remitted by legislation and can also be required for automobile registration. You might also need to pay hefty fines when you shouldn’t have a third-party insurance coverage cowl. This cowl covers a 3rd social gathering in case of property injury, bodily harm, or loss of life. This cowl is prolonged to these affected by the insured automobile brought on because of an accident. You can be to know {that a} third-party legal responsibility doesn’t have any restrict with regards to claims, which implies in case of loss of life or injury of an affected third social gathering, the courtroom of legislation decides the declare quantity, foundation quite a lot of components. The declare can run into crores of rupees.
The opposite cowl is OD, which basically covers injury to the insured’s automobile. Right here the damages can embody pure calamities, housebreaking, theft, hearth, self-ignition, exterior unintentional means, malicious acts, terrorist exercise, riots, or strikes. A complete motor insurance coverage coverage is one that gives each third-party and OD cowl. Kamakshi, together with a complete motor insurance coverage cowl, there are additionally some important add-on covers which you have to go for, contemplating you reside in a area which is often impacted by monsoons.
The place a complete cowl will cowl damages to your automobile owing to pure calamities like floods; nevertheless, suppose you need full safety to your automobile. In that case, there are some add-on covers like zero depreciation cowl, which you must take together with an engine protector cowl, 24×7 roadside help, and tyre safeguard, which you’ll contemplate to your state of affairs. A zero depreciation add-on will cowl your automobile in opposition to all damages, the place you’ll have to bear the minimal value of damages since no depreciation value shall be relevant in comparison with a typical complete coverage the place a share of depreciation is relevant. In case of flooding, there’s a risk that the engine will get impacted. Therefore, an engine protector cowl shall be helpful because it gives protection in opposition to injury to the automobile’s engine because of water ingression resulting in hydrostatic lock. It additionally covers circumstances like leakage of lubricating oil and injury to the gearbox.
There may be situations the place you could want emergency help in case your automobile all of a sudden incurs a difficulty which is often witnessed throughout the monsoons. Right here a 24×7 roadside help add-on cowl is useful because it gives emergency roadside help companies like assist in altering flat tyres, jump-starting a lifeless battery, different spot restore companies, different journey preparations, emergency gas refilling, and towing facility on a 24×7 foundation. Tyres are generally impacted throughout the rains, repairs for that are coated as much as 50% in case of tyre injury because of accidents in customary insurance policies.
Nevertheless, with a tyre safeguard add-on cowl, additionally, you will get 100% protection for damages to tyres. Kamakshi, I assume that since you might have already bought your automobile simply 4 months in the past, you have to have already got an insurance coverage coverage in place, though I’m not sure of the protection you might have opted for. You probably have not opted for these covers and even have opted for them, in case of flooding, you have to keep away from driving in areas the place the water degree is above your tyre. If the state of affairs is unavoidable, swap off your engine, exit your automobile, guarantee you’re protected, and look forward to the water to recede. In case of any injury to your automobile, please get in contact along with your insurer on their toll-free or buyer care numbers. You can too attain your insurer on their app or web site. They are going to additional information you with one of the best resolution and guarantee your worries are taken care of.
(Views expressed by the skilled are his/her personal)