Car insurance in Jodhpur, and a person to call when you claim

Third-party or comprehensive?

Third-party insurance is compulsory for every vehicle on Indian roads under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It pays for injury or damage you cause to other people and their property. It pays nothing towards your own car.

A comprehensive policy adds own-damage cover for your car against accidents, theft, fire and natural disasters, as per the policy terms. If you already hold a valid third-party policy, you can buy standalone own-damage cover instead. For a financed or fairly new car, comprehensive is the sensible default. For an old car of low value, third-party alone can be reasonable. We will tell you which fits yours.

Add-ons worth knowing

Insurers offer optional covers on top of a comprehensive policy. Names and terms differ between insurers, so compare the wording, not just the label:

• Zero depreciation. The claim is paid without deducting depreciation on replaced parts. It matters most in a car's early years.
• Engine protection. Engine damage from water getting in or oil leaking out, which a standard policy often excludes.
• Roadside assistance. Towing, a dead battery or a flat tyre, day or night.
• Return to invoice. If the car is stolen or written off, the gap between its insured value and the price you paid.
• Consumables. Nuts, bolts, oils and other small items a standard claim leaves out.

Your No Claim Bonus

Every claim-free year earns a No Claim Bonus: a discount on the own-damage part of your next premium, as per the insurer's terms. It belongs to you, not the car and not the insurer, so it moves with you when you switch insurers or buy a new car. You can lose it if the policy is not renewed in time, which is one reason we keep track of your renewal date.

When you need to claim

1. Tell the insurer straight away, and call us. Do not move a badly damaged car or start repairs until the insurer says so.
2. File a police report for theft, and wherever the insurer needs one, such as an accident involving injury or another party.
3. Cashless or reimbursement. At one of the insurer's network garages the insurer can pay the garage directly. Anywhere else, you pay and claim it back.
4. Survey and settlement. The insurer's surveyor inspects the damage and the claim is settled as per your policy terms. We follow it up with the insurer until it closes.

How an insurer decides a claim is up to the insurer. What we make sure of is that yours is filed properly and does not sit forgotten.

Questions about car insurance

Cover, exclusions and add-on terms are as per each insurer's policy wording.