Car damaged by flood, heavy rains? Insurance claim rejected? Here’s why

Gandhinagar: Several parts of Gujarat witnessed extremely heavy rainfall in the past week, leading to floods, waterlogging, and road cave-ins in many areas of the state. With cities submerged in water, a lot of damage is sustained by cars and other vehicles. Floods and waterlogging create multiple issues in cars, such as engine failure, gearbox malfunctions, and damage to electronic systems. These damages leave car owners with hefty expenses. A large number of insurance companies provide policies that cover damages due to natural calamities such as floods. So what kind of policy is that, and under what circumstances can the company deny insurance claims?

Which insurance policy would cover the damages caused by floods?

A comprehensive car insurance policy provides extensive coverage for both third-party liabilities and damages sustained by the insured car.

With a comprehensive car insurance policy, you get protection against a wide range of risks, including damages to your own car due to accidents, vandalism, fire, and theft, as well as damages caused by man-made or natural calamities such as floods, hailstorms, earthquakes, etc. Additionally, it covers any accidental damages or physical injuries caused to third parties due to your insured motor vehicle.

So what might lead to the rejection of an insurance claim by the company?

Even though the comprehensive insurance policy covers flood damage, the company can still reject claims if the vehicle was damaged due to the actions of the driver. For example, when a car gets stuck in a waterlogged area or flooded parking lot, instead of starting the car after the floods, the owner should get it towed away to a service centre. In the case where the driver starts the car after it has been drowned, it will lead to engine failure due to the hydraulic shock that happens when water enters a running engine. This act will lead to the rejection of the claims as further damage was caused by the actions of the car owner. DeshGujarat