Let us begin with the story of Mr. Sharma. On one unfortunate night, the engine of his car got damaged due to the flood water intrusion. But he was relaxed because he had already bought a comprehensive car insurance plan.
Sounds great, right?
2 days later, he filed a claim with the insurance company to get his engine replacement costs covered. But to his surprise, his claim got rejected.
Mr. Sharma was astonished. How did this happen?
Did he purchase a comprehensive insurance plan? Check.
Did he pay all the premiums on time? Check.
Then what did he missed out?
When your car is damaged by flooding, the comprehensive insurance policy is the ideal insurance coverage. However, this is only a base plan, so insurance doesn't cover particular issues like engine damage from water logging, tire blowouts, or breakdown, among others. Therefore, when you make a claim, it is denied. A similar situation was faced by Mr. Sharma.
So what can you do in this case?
Along with comprehensive insurance, you may add additional add-on covers to the base plan to increase its functionality. Car insurance add-ons are extra protections that offer financial assistance for certain losses or damages to your car.
We discuss some major add-ons for your car insurance in detail.
Engine protection cover
The automobile engine is vulnerable to harm from flood water intrusion or from inactivity. Your car's engine is not covered by the comprehensive insurance plan, but this add-on provides financial protection for repairs or part replacements for damaged engines.
Zero depreciation cover
Wear and tear over time causes automotive parts to degrade, which lowers the car's value. When you file a claim, the insurance only pays the components' depreciated value, not their full worth. With this add-on, however, depreciation is not taken into account while settling the claim, so you will get the full cost of the auto repairs.
Return to invoice cover
With the return to invoice cover, you may make a claim for the purchase price or the invoice value of the automobile, which includes registration fees and road taxes as well as any other amounts allowed by the conditions of the policy, if your car is stolen or beyond economical repair due to floods.
Consumables cover
The standard plan does not cover the cost of replacing consumable goods like lubricants, gearbox and engine oil, nuts and bolts, grease, etc. With this addition, you are shielded against costs associated with consumables following an accident or a natural disaster like a flood.
Roadside help cover
If your automobile gets stuck due to flooding, you will receive towing services as well as 24 hour emergency roadside assistance with this add-on. Additionally, you receive advantages like fuel refills, minor fixes, flat tire services, etc.
Flash floods can come unexpectedly, and you may be caught off guard during such events. In certain cases, automotive damage from floods is unavoidable. However, you may protect your vehicles to a greater extent with the aforementioned add-ons.
