After buying a car owner one of the first things you need to do is to apply for car insurance. According to the latest Pakistani traffic laws, it is a mandatory requirement for car owners in the country to have at least third-party liability car insurance.
This insurance serves to protect your interests from any financial impact that can happen if you accidentally cause damage to any public or private property. There are many other types of auto insurance policies in Pakistan. The majority of these offer more comprehensive monetary coverage for events like car accidents, theft, and damage to your car due to any eventuality.
For more details about car insurance types and why you should invest in car insurance read our posts Why Car Insurance Has Now Become an Important Aspect in Pakistan and 5 Things to Consider When Choosing Car Insurance In Pakistan.
It is pointless to say the obvious but to claim any of the insurance coverage that you have paid for, you need to follow a set procedure specified by insurance companies. The purpose of today’s blog is to appropriately educate you on the process of claiming car insurance in Pakistan.
Read on and learn about the step-by-step guide about the process of filing a car insurance claim while following all the necessary conditions and requirements.
A Step Wise Guide to Claiming Car Insurance In Pakistan
As a basic rule of any financial obligation, you should read your insurance policy carefully. You should know what terms and conditions are included in the policy. Reading the policy also lets you know what and what is not covered when you need to file a car insurance claim.
- In case of an accident, after making sure that everyone in the car is safe. You should call your car insurance company and inform them about the accident.
- You will need to have your policy number ready with you for verification purposes.
- After verification, the insurance company will either ask you to take your car to one of their authorized service centers or to any of your nearest workshops at your convenience.
- The insurance company will then send a surveyor to your workshop. This person will inspect and verify the damage caused to your vehicle. The surveyor will then submit a report along with pictures of damaged parts and the estimated maximum cost of repairs.
- The surveyor report can also suggest the repairs and replacements needed in the damaged part of your car. (This can be less than what your workshop is suggesting)
- You may also need to show your car insurance policy documents at the workshop.
- The surveyor can also ask to verify your car insurance policy documents before proceeding with any examination.
Note: The car insurance companies in Pakistan give you two options in terms of reimbursements. You can either pay for the repairs of your car instantly after the surveyors complete their job. The payment will then be reimbursed by the car insurance company.
Otherwise, if you don’t want any extra out-of-pocket expenses, you can wait for the completion of the process. Once the process is done, your car insurance company will directly pay the workshop for the repairs.
Some important things to remember when claiming your car insurance in Pakistan are discussed below:
Points to Remember
- When you call your insurance company after the incident with your car, you need to give them every important detail. For instance, details about your accident. You need to specifically tell them about your location and if your car is not in a drivable condition. This is to get towing assistance in a timely manner.
- You may also need to lodge an First Information Report (FIR) with the police. This is usually needed in both hit and run and car theft cases. This requirement can also vary from case to case in according to different auto insurance policies in Pakistan.
- If you want to claim insurance against the theft of your car, you will also need to arrange for CCTV camera footages, if there are any available.
- Don’t make the mistake of getting your car repaired without informing the car insurance company as it may nullify your car insurance claim. You will also have to wait for the surveyor to finalize their report about the costs of the repairs.
- Payments from car insurance companies in Pakistan are made in the form of cash, online transfer, bank drafts, or cheques. Users can usually select their preferred mode of payment for the insurance of a car in Pakistan.
- For claiming car insurance in Pakistan, the mandatory documents are as follows:
- A clear copy of your original driver’s license
- documents verifying your car insurance policy.
- A clear copy of your original Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC)/Smart Card
- Original slips or receipts of any payments you have made for reimbursement. This is a mandatory condition in the case of insurance of damaged cars.
- Copy of FIR and any other pieces of evidence in case of car theft as well as hit-and-run accidents.
Sadia Zaheer holds a Masters in Business Administration from IBA, Karachi. After working in several financial institutions in Client Management, Corporate Lending, Islamic Banking and Product Management she jumped careers to pursue a career in writing.
She is a Finance, Business and HR Development writer with four years of experience. She reads a lot and takes care of her multiple cats to remain calm.
