Total loss insurance claim

While vehicle insurance claim for minor damages and repair is pretty routine and easy, it's not the same with total loss claim. It took around six months from reporting to payment. Hence documenting some lessons learnt.

Medico-legal case (MLC)

If there are injuries to the passengers or third party, visit the nearest hospital. They will file an MLC and offer you treatment. Keep the MLC for record. This is required if further treatment is pursued in other hospitals.

File an FIR

You must file an FIR or diary report at the nearest police station. Most importantly, take a copy of the document. Without this document, your claim will not be settled. (Note: Special thanks to Sub-inspector at Hiriyur Police station.)

Garage choice

In repair claims, it's fine to take the vehicle to the nearest garage from the place of accident. However, for total loss, if the place of accident is far from the place of registration, it makes sense to get the vehicle atleast to the same town as the RTO where the vehicle is registered. This might cost you money, but it will save delays and unnecessary rounds to the RTO under whose purview the garage falls. Also, no tout will take up the case.

Basically, for total loss claim, you need to get RC canceled. This requires inspection from an RTO officer. If vehicle is in the same town, you can help the officer make the inspection. However, if vehicle is in another town, they will send a mail to the concerned RTO for an inspection report. This might breakdown at three places - delay in onward mail, inspection by officer and report and delay in reply mail.

In my case, I'd to visit Tumkur RTO for inspection report from Bangalore. They only handed me a copy of the report. Bangalore RTO refused to accept the copy and the report didn't arrive in Bangalore for two months. It had to be escalated to Assistant RTO. He called up Tumkur RTO. He advised me to visit Tumkur RTO and collect the report by hand. On reaching Tumkur, I realised that the report was not even sent! (Note: Special thanks to officers at Bangalore Indiranagar RTO. They did their duties without any interference from touts or bribe.)

Surveyor inspection

Reliance insurance was very prompt in assigning surveyor. Only the bill generation by the garage took time. They had to revise it since the prices seemed above market price for some components. If the total bill for repair is more than 80% of IDV (Insured Declared Value), the claim is considered to be total loss.

Once RC cancellation is submitted to insurance office, they sell the vehicle to salvage buyer. I received a cheque from the buyer and the same was deducted from total paid by the insurer.