How To Make A Car Insurance Claim

Car insurance is mandatory in Malaysia, ensuring that you are protected in the case that something happens to your vehicle. However, how to go about making a claim isn’t really a process that you’re going to do on a regular basis – which means that you may be unclear about how to go about it.

There are different types of car insurance claims, depending on what happened to your car. We break down what you need to do in each of these situations.

Accident claims

There are two types of insurance claims that you could make in the event of a car accident. Depending on the nature of the accident, the claims involved are either:

• Own damage claim – when you make a damage claim against your own insurance policy. The downside to this is that you may lose your no-claim discount (NCD).
• Third-party claim – when you make a claim against a third party (usually the other person involved in the accident).

Step-by-step guide in making an accident insurance claim

1. Immediately after the accident, make a quick assessment of the damage to your vehicle. Ascertain if it’s road-worthy. If it’s not, call your insurance hot-line and request for help to get a tow truck.
2. Take pictures of the accident site as well as the vehicles involved in the accident.
3. Take down the particulars of the vehicles (registration number, car make and model, colour) involved in the accident.
4. Exchange personal details with the drivers involved in the accident (full name, MyKad number, driver license number, contact details).
5. Proceed to the police station within 24 hours starting from the time of accident. Take note that your tow truck operator (if you enlisted one) should be towing your car to the police station and not straight to the workshop.
6. Make a police report at the police station. Your vehicle will be inspected and photographed by the police. Make sure you get a copy of the police report before you leave.
7. Now, drive or get your car towed to a panel workshop.
8. At the workshop, work with the administrative personnel to complete your notification / claim procedures with the insurance company. Generally, you will need these documents:
   1. A copy of the police report
   2. Your vehicle registration card
   3. Your insurance policy / cover note
   4. A copy of MyKad and driving licence of the vehicle owner
   5. A copy of MyKad and driving licence of the driver involved in the accident
9. Thereafter, you can allow the personnel in charge of your case to take over. But do make sure you follow up closely over the next few weeks until the claim has been made and the vehicle is back safely in your hands.

Special Perils (Flood, Landslide, Storm Damage, etc.)

In most cases, this type of damage is not covered by a regular automotive insurance policy – regardless of whether you opted for basic or comprehensive coverage. This generally means that you will be unable to claim for loss or damages if your car is caught in a flood or landslide. However, if you had the foresight to insure your vehicle for such things (for example if you live in a flood prone area) then this is what you’ll need to do:

1. Immediately after the incident, make a quick assessment of the damage to your vehicle. Regardless of whether you think it’s roadworthy, call your insurance hot-line and request for help to get a tow truck.
2. Take pictures of the incident if possible.
3. Get your car towed to a panel workshop.
4. At the workshop, work with the administrative personnel to complete your notification / claim procedures with the insurance company. Generally, you will need these documents:
   1. A copy of the police report
   2. Your vehicle registration card
   3. Your insurance policy / cover note
   4. A copy of MyKad and driving licence of the vehicle owner
   5. A copy of MyKad and driving licence of the driver involved in the accident
5. Thereafter, you can allow the personnel in charge of your case to take over. But do make sure you follow up closely over the next few weeks until the claim has been made and the vehicle is back safely in your hands.

Making a claim for a stolen car

In the event that your car goes missing, you will first have to verify that it is actually stolen and hasn’t been towed without your knowledge. If it has actually been stolen, you will need to:

1. Go to the nearest police station and make a report. You will need to provide details about the vehicle, as well as any items of value that may be in the car when it was stolen.
2. Contact your insurance provider and inform them about what has happened. You will need to bring the following documents when you make your claim.
   1. Original copy of police report
   2. Copy of driver’s MyKad
   3. Copy of driver’s driving license
   4. Vehicle registration card
   5. Copy of hire purchase agreement
3. Complete the claim form provided by the insurance provider.
4. Upon submitting a claims form for theft, you must continue to liaise closely with your insurance firm or its representative during the course of police investigation.

As it could take a long time for both the police and insurer to investigate the claim you made, you may only receive the offer of settlement from your insurance company six months from the theft notification, or upon completion of the police investigation, whichever one is earlier.

Regardless of what kind of claim you need to make, it really helps when you have comprehensive car insurance cover (instead of the cheaper third-party insurance cover). With a comprehensive car insurance policy, you get everything from tow service and roadside assistance, to more inclusive damage coverage; which saves you a massive headache in the event of an accident.

Just remember that even comprehensive coverage doesn’t compensate you for every type of damage. So it helps if you constantly review your car insurance policy and make sure you are getting what you need out of it.

This article was first published in 2012 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.