If you ask most insurance companies in Kenya, the biggest percentage of claims they process are car insurance claims. They rarely make a profit in this segment. So, its no wonder they are quick to reject claims over flimsy reasons. So, its important your insurance and how you go about lodging a claim are above board.
Read: 6 Useful Facts About Motor Vehicle Insurance In Kenya You Should Know
The main categories of car insurance claims are: accident, theft and third party damages and injuries. Others include claims against windscreen, entertainment system etc.
Third party car insurance accident claim process
Accidents form the biggest claims under car insurance. If you have third party insurance and are involved in an accident, do the following:
- Call the police and if there are injuries, also an ambulance
- Do not admit liability
- Take pictures and videos of the accident scene
- Get a police abstract for the accident
- Notify your insurance of the accident immediately
- If another car is involved, exchange insurance details with the other driver
- Get a claim form from your insurance and fill it, attaching relevant documents such as the original police abstract and details of the third party involved
- Submit the claim form to your insurance along with photos and videos of the scene
- Your insurance will investigate and pay third party claims that will rise against you for damages, injuries or death from the accident. Note that you might be required to pay for excesses payable.
Comprehensive car insurance accident claim process
If, on the other hand, you have insured your car comprehensively. The process of lodging a claim starts the same as third party with several more steps related to getting your car repaired or replaced. This is the process:
- Call the police and if there are injuries, also an ambulance
- Do not admit liability
- Take pictures and videos of the accident scene
- Get a police abstract for the accident
- Notify your insurance of the accident immediately
- If another car is involved, exchange insurance details with the other driver (take a photo of their insurance sticker)
- Get a claim form from your insurance and fill it, attaching relevant documents such as the original police abstract and details of the third party involved
- Submit the claim form to your insurance along with photos and videos you took of the scene
- Your insurance will start the process of settling third party claims
- As this is happening, take your car to an appointed garage for assessment
- The garage will assess the car and submit their report to your insurance
- The insurance will review the report, engage you for further clarifications and may opt to investigate the circumstances of the accident if there are inconsistencies
- Depending on their review, your insurance may decide to either:
- Authorise repairs: your car gets repaired by an authorised garage
- Write-off your car: you will be given money to buy another car
- Reject your claim: you will pay your own repairs
- You will be notified of the decision and if there are any amounts you have to pay to cover excess claims
Theft car insurance claim process
If your car has been stolen, do this:
- Report to the nearest police station and get a police abstract
- Notify your insurance who will give you a theft claim form to fill
- Your insurance will investigate the circumstances under which your car disappeared
- If during this period, the car is traced and recovered, notify your insurance
- If its still intact but some parts are missing, your insurance will cover replacement of those parts
- If it has been stripped bare, its considered a total loss and your insurance will compensate you the amount insured
- If the investigation finds no fault or fraud on your part, and the car is yet to be recovered, its considered a complete loss and your claim is processed, a discharge voucher is issued and you are compensated less theft excess. Theft excess will be:
- Between 2.5% – 5% value of your car if the car had a tracking device
- 10% value of the car if your car only had an alarm
- 20% value of the car if your car had no alarm and tracking device
