Cyclone Biparjoy, which has intensified into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm" from "very severe cyclonic", is likely to hit south-southwest Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coasts soon. Considering this, an orange alert has been sounded in Saurashtra and Kutch. Twelve teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and an equal number of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been put on standby in Gujarat to be deployed to deal with the situation after the arrival of the cyclone.
While the authorities prepare to make sure there's minimum damage due to the cyclone, there's some bit that we can do at an individual level for ourselves to make sure we face minimum damage in case of a natural disaster like this one. Buying a comprehensive car insurance policy is one such thing that can help you during natural calamities such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes, etc.
It is important to note that not all car insurance policies offer coverage against cyclones. Since a lot of vehicle owners choose third-party liability policies, they miss out on coverage against calamities like cyclones, though these policies are cheaper.
For coverage against cyclones, floods, earthquakes, etc., one needs to buy a comprehensive car insurance policy or a standalone own-damage policy.
Benefits of car insurance policy during cyclone
Cashless claim
If your car has been severely damaged during a cyclone, you can reach out to your insurance company and request for cashless claim. The insurer is responsible for getting your damaged car to the nearest garage and setting the bills.
No-claim bonus
A comprehensive car insurance policy also gives you the benefit of no claim bonus (NCB). This means you get a discount on your premium renewals if you don't raise any claims in the policy terms. Besides, you also get to transfer your existing NCB with a new policy.
Easy claim process
A comprehensive car policy also brings with it the benefit of hassle-free inspection and claim process, allowing one to avail high-quality services during a natural disaster.
How to raise claim after a cyclone?
-Firstly, keep in mind that if your car is submerged in water due to cyclone effect, you do not start the engine. This is because if water has entered the car, cranking the engine can be a very bad idea which can only increase the damage. Wait for the insurance company representative to assess the damages.
-Inform your insurance provider as soon as you get a chance to check your car. It is advisable to reach out to them through a call instead of writing an email or visiting the office in such scenario.
-One of the important steps while raising a claim is collecting evidence. An effective way to do this is clicking pictures and recording videos of damages done by the cyclone. Make sure you capture the exact damages. Besides, news regarding cyclone can act as supporting evidence.
-Make sure you have all the details regarding your car insurance handy before you reach out to the insurance company as it can help in processing your claim smoothly.
-Once you have done the above, file a claim using the app of the insurance company or visiting the website. One can also take the help of insurance provider representative for filing the claim.
-Once the verification is done, the car will be repaired at the garage.
-The claim will be settled based on the process one opts for: Cashless or Reimbursement.
Total loss
When buying a car insurance, one of the important terms to keep in mind is IDV or the insured declared value, which means the maximum current value of the car.
A total loss implies a situation in which the car damage is beyond repair. If the total expense of repair is higher than 75 percent of the IDV of the car, the insurance company is liable to settle the claim by paying the IDV, declaring the car as total loss. Total loss situations are common during a cyclone.
