You must have heard or read it that car insurance claims are rather easy to file and take only negligible efforts, that’s true for the most part. Most car insurance companies in the UAE have impressive claim settlement rates. This simply means that as long you are claiming the right services and expenses; your claim settlement process is going to be fruitful. However, there are still a bunch of things that one needs to keep in mind when submitting a car insurance claim.
Car insurance claim settlement is an administrative process and needs to be dealt with carefully to get the claim settled in time. So, let’s take a look at all the things that you should keep in mind when filling out a claim for your car insurance plan.
Check the Documents and Their Accuracy
You will be submitting a full stack of different documents when filling out a car insurance claim. You may forget to add an important document or it slips out of your mind. Missing to submit an important document can lead to claim rejection. This means that you will have to collect all the forms and documents once again and submit the claim all over again. As evident, all this extra work can make claim settlement a lot harder than it has to be.
While we are on this subject, make sure that every single document you have submitted can be authenticated to be genuine by the insurance provider. In case the authenticity of the document can not be proved, your claim will be rejected, yet again. Make a checklist of the documents to help yourself remember.
Read The Finest of the Print from Your Policy Documents
Your car insurance contract documents are going to be a lengthy set. But that does not mean that you get the liberty to skip reading them properly. Always make sure that you have read all the terms and conditions that are unique to the car insurance plan you have bought. One of the biggest reasons for car insurance claim rejection is “invalid claims”. Any claim can be branded ‘invalid’ if the claimed expense is not included in the coverage of the plan. Here, knowing the general inclusions of the plan is not going to be enough. This means you need to read the fine print on your policy documents very carefully.
Save the Invoices and Receipts
Claims can be filed both online and offline. If you file claims offline, you will have to submit a few original documents. However, if you are submitting the claim online, you will be submitting the documents in the scanned. When you submit scanned documents, you need to make sure that all the original ones are safe and sound. Most car insurance companies reserve the right to ask for these claim related documents anytime within a year of claim submission for verification.
So, make sure that you retain all the original invoices, bills, payment receipts, credit and debit card receipts and every other related document intact for at least 12 months after claim settlement. If you fail to provide these documents when asked by the insurance company, it can lead to a hefty fine or even an insurance fraud case.
Keep Track of the Claim Application Deadlines
Since car insurance claims in the UAE are generally made as direct or cashless claims, keeping track of deadlines never seems to be a problem. However, even cashless claims have to be made within a set time frame as dictated by the insurance company. Do not wait for the last moment to submit your claim. As evident already, claims can end up being rejected even with the smallest of mistakes.
This means that you will need a margin to ensure you have enough time to submit the claims again. If you wait for the last day to submit your claim and it ends up getting rejected, you will miss the window and the chance to get the vehicle repairs settled.
Always Provide Completely Honest Details
You need to make sure that every detail provided to the insurance company is 100% correct and true. If you were at fault for an accident, let the insurance company so that they are ready for any third-party liability claims. If possible, take pictures of the accident scene so that you can support every detail that you have provided to the insurance company.
Do not Leave the Repairs or The Claims for Later
Many people decide to leave the repairs after a minor collision or accident for later. If you have decided to bear the expenses of such repairs on your own, you can get them done anytime you like. But if you plan to drive the car regularly and submit a claim for them for the insurance company to cover the expenses, you need to be prompt. If you do not file the claim right away and get the repairs done, it will get rejected later.
The logic here is, since the repairs are minor and you will be driving the car, later on, the damages can be declared as consequential. Insurance companies do not cover consequential damages which can lead to added expenses for you.
Proofread Your Claim Form Multiple Times
Apart from missing or wrong documents submission, clerical errors can also result in claim rejection. Even the smallest mistake in the claim form can reset the whole claim submission process for you. So, make sure that you are extra careful when filling out the claim form. Do not make any mistakes while entering your policy number, name of the plan holder, and other similar details that are used for administrative purposes.
Police Report is Required for Most Car Insurance Claims
Whether it is an accident, collision or theft, you will most probably need a police report to submit a car insurance claim for settlement of the total loss or repair expenses. Police reports are generally filed automatically whenever accidents are involved. Your responsibility is to get a police report filed in case of theft. If your car has been stolen, immediately notify the nearest police station and get a report filed. Obtain a copy of that report to raise a claim for the theft with the insurance company.
Stick to Either Arabic or English
Car insurance claims or any other kind of claims in the UAE are supposed to be submitted in either English or Arabic. You need to make sure that all the documents you are going to submit are in either of these languages only. The claim shall also be filled in either Arabic or English. If any of your receipts, bills, invoices or other documents are in any tertiary language, get them translated from a public translator of the UAE.
Co-passengers are Protected Under a Separate Cover
If you travel with co-passengers often, make sure that you have bought a passenger accidental cover. Your comprehensive car insurance policy will only cover the driver at the maximum. Passengers are not covered in any normal car insurance plan. So, make sure you have the optimum car insurance with passenger cover before you claim for passenger injury treatment to avoid claim rejection.
DUIs Will Not Go Unnoticed
Driving under influence or DUI is not something to be taken lightly when insurance claims are concerned. It is one of the most common exclusions that can be found in almost all car insurance policies available out there. If you were under the influence of alcohol or any kind of drugs that leave psychoactive effects, your car insurance claim will be denied by the insurance company.
The Most Common Reasons for Claim Rejections
There can be several reasons for the insurance company to reject a car insurance claim. Listed below are some of the most common ones for you to remember:
- Wrong information or errors on the claim form.
- Missing or fake documents. Unavailability of original documents.
- Clerical errors on the car insurance claim application form.
- Documents submitted are not in either English or Arabic.
Can Denied Claims be Challenged?
Car insurance companies always provide a valid reason for all the denied claims. A denied claim is different from a rejected claim. You can re-submit a rejected claim after correcting the mistake. But denied claims are processed and deemed invalid for settlement. If you think that the insurance company is wrong to deny the said claim, you can appeal in a court of law. But make sure that you have substantial proof for your claim.
Something Extra to Think About
- Claims can only be submitted when both the ownership and the insurance policy are in your name. If you have bought a second-hand car, make sure that you transfer the insurance plan along with the ownership right away.
- It is wise to not file a claim for minor damages that you can handle yourself. If you file even one claim in a year, no matter how big or small, you will lose your no claim bonus. So, if you think that the repairs can be managed without a claim, choose that option.
- Car insurance with passenger cover only covers three passengers. If your car has more than three passengers at the time of the accident, you can not claim for all of them when submitting injury-related car insurance claims.
Conclusion
Car insurance claims can be tricky to submit if you are not aware of these small things. There can be several rejected claims and even a few denials in the mix. However, with the right information in front of you, it is extremely easy to not only submit a claim but to get it settled in the way you expected from the very start. Make sure that you have read the policy wordings aka car insurance contract documents of your insurance policy.
Ensure that the services you are applying for are included in your plan benefits. Last but not the least, make sure that you have gathered enough proof to support your claim in the form of personal accounts, reports, witness accounts and photographs, if possible. With these points covered, the car insurance claim process will go swimmingly for you.
