Claiming Insurance for Repairing Your Cracked Windshield
By AIS Windshield Experts
Category: Car Windshield
Windshield cracks usually require immediate professional repair service, or else, they tend to manifest into irreparable damages and cause bigger problems.
Not only are cracked windshields potentially dangerous to drive around with, but they are also finable by law. Fortunately, a motor insurance policy (as mandatory in India!) can cover the costs of your windshield repairs or replacements entirely.
Under a comprehensive automotive insurance policy, your insurer reimburses you for the damages caused by other vehicles or "acts of God", if you claim the insurance. However, as soon as you file the claim and receive the reimbursement, you lose out on your No Claim Bonus or NCB.
So, should you file a claim for your windshield repair? Let's find out.
Damages Covered Under Your Insurance Policy
A comprehensive automotive insurance policy will cover damages sustained due to vandalism acts during thefts or fights, tree branches, rocks, and even hail slamming into the windscreen.
Other common instances include impacts of collisions with animals, pebbles or debris, a baseball/football cannoning into the vehicle's shield, crashing into another car, etc.
However, suppose your insurance policy does not cover the causal relation of your windshield damage. In that case, you will be the sole bearer of the entire windshield repair or replacement expenses, whichever is the remedy of the hour.
How to Repair Cracked Windshield with Insurance
Repair cracked windshield by claiming insurance only if the service costs you dearly. A hatchback windscreen repair is rarely a costly affair, but for luxury models like SUVs or a premium sedan, you may need to file a claim if the expenses are over your budget.
In such a case, follow the steps mentioned below to file a claim with your insurer.
Step 1 – Notify your insurer about the damage sustained by filling out the insurance claim form online or submitting a hardcopy of the same with the requisite documents. For a vandalism related windscreen impairment, you must first report to the police and submit the claim with the FIR copy.
Step 2 – In response, your insurer will send a surveyor to the site, who will assess the damages incurred and create a report. A copy of the same will be sent to you and your insurance provider for reference.
Step 3 – You can arrange a repair service for your damaged windshield based on the surveyor's assessment. Make sure to access the services of a car care expert approved by your insurance company.
Step 4 – At the facility, a professional technician will inspect the severity of the windshield cracks and diagnose with a replacement or repair. Cracked windshields are usually repairable if the crack is minor. In any case, if your insurance policy covers the cause of the damage, your insurer will bear the entire cost.
Step 5 – Post the windshield repair, you need to submit duly signed bills and documents from your service provider to the surveyor, who in turn, will hand them over to your insurer to proceed with the bill reimbursement.
Once the auto-repair shop finishes your windscreen repair and releases the vehicle, you should immediately claim the reimbursement for your bills. Any delay in submitting the bills to the insurance company and you may not receive the desired claim.
Documents Necessary for Insurance Claim
Most auto shops will ask you to furnish a set of documents, both original and photocopies when you visit the car care service centre.
For a Passenger Vehicle
You must present a valid driving licence, a comprehensive insurance policy document, owners' signature ID proof (PAN, Aadhar) and your RC (Registration Certificate) book/Smart card. In case your vehicle is in the company's name, make sure the claim form has the rubber stamp of the respective company, along with the authorised signatory stamp and signature.
For a Commercial Vehicle
In addition to the documents mentioned above, you must furnish a Fitness certificate, Road Tax, and Route permit. The process also necessitates you to provide the spot survey report with the photographs.
Remember, different insurance companies will have other documentation criteria. And in exceptional cases, may even ask you to hand over some extra documents. So, it is in your best interest to call the service centre and insurer beforehand and learn about the entire process before you file for the claim.
The Bottom Line
While insurance claims can undoubtedly help you recover repair costs, you can end up in a pickle if you choose your repair service provider unwisely. A carelessly refurbished windscreen by a windshield nonexpert will cost you more in the long run. Hence, you must always trust a renowned company like AIS Windshield Experts.
With our Repair First policy, you can rest assured, your windscreen will be in the hands of skilled technicians who can fix your windshield via cost-effective repair measures. We are also the only company to extend a one-year written warranty on the materials used and our workmanship.
So, if you need a timely professional fix for your impaired windscreen, drive down to any of our 90+ service centres, and we'll take care of the rest.
To know more about our insurance partners and insurance claiming policy, check out the "Insurance Claim Assistance" portal on our website today!
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