The premium is not the problem. The payout is.
Why most vehicle owners overpay and under-claim — and the three numbers that change it.
The two halves of motor insurance
Third-party (mandatory, fixed) and own-damage (optional, priced) — and why the split matters.
How to read your policy like an insider
The eight clauses, the Customer Information Sheet, and the 30-day free look.
The money map: what decides your premium
Fixed third-party rates, negotiable own-damage, NCB, add-ons, deductibles and GST.
No Claim Bonus: the ladder that halves your premium
The 20/25/35/45/50 slabs, the 90-day rule, transfer and NCB Protect.
The renewal checklist and the portability play
Renew on time, carry your NCB across insurers, and price standalone own-damage.
Add-ons: which ones pay and which ones do not
Zero-depreciation, engine protect, RSA, return-to-invoice, consumables — ranked honestly.
Cutting the premium without cutting your cover
The right levers, the wrong ones, and a worked example.
The four stages of every motor claim
Report, assess, approve, settle — and the golden rules of a clean claim.
The first hour: intimation done right
The order of operations on the day of an accident, step by step.
The surveyor and the Rs. 50,000 rule
When a survey is mandatory, the 24-hour allocation clock, and how to work with the surveyor.
Cashless or reimbursement: the real trade-off
Speed versus control, and what to do if cashless is refused at the counter.
The documents you need — and the ones they cannot demand
The claim file, and the rule that stops the paper chase.
FIR: when it is mandatory and when it is not
Theft, third-party injury, major accidents — and the PM-RAHAT cashless scheme.
Own-damage claims: depreciation, deductibles and what gets cut
The depreciation ladder, the excess, non-payables, and the arithmetic laid bare.
Total loss and theft claims
Constructive total loss, the IDV, the FIR and the non-traceable certificate.
Third-party claims and the MACT route
How liability works, the unlimited injury cover and the Rs. 7.5 lakh property limit.
The IRDAI clock: your legal timelines and the interest right
The 24-hour, 15-day and 7-day limits, and the interest you can claim when they slip.
Twelve reasons claims fail — and the fix for each
Ten of the twelve are decided before the accident. Here is how to avoid every one.
The escalation ladder
From grievance officer to Bima Bharosa to the Insurance Ombudsman to the consumer forum.
Three claims worked end to end
A clean claim, a claim that nearly failed, and a delayed payout that was made to move.
Plus a full Toolkit: a renewal checklist, an accident-day phone card, a claim intimation letter, a grievance escalation letter, a premium and claim worksheet, a 30-question FAQ and a glossary.
