The theft of your car can truly leave you shocked and worried. Fortunately, a comprehensive car insurance policy will serve you well in such a situation by reimbursing you with the IDV (insured declared value) of your vehicle. This compensation can help ease out your stress; however, there still may be one question that looms over your mind:
‘What about my personal belongings left behind in the car? Does insurance cover those too?’
Let’s find out.
Personal belongings add-on
A comprehensive car insurance policy will only offer coverage for the vehicle in question. This means that the payout will not compensate you for any things you might have left inside the car – such as items in the glove compartment or trunk. The good news is that you can take the right steps to ensure you do receive the value of these belongings in the unfortunate event that your car is stolen. You simply need to opt in for the personal belongings cover add-on in your car insurance policy.
A personal belongings cover will compensate you for any items of personal value that unfortunately were left behind in a stolen vehicle. These may generally include things such as a laptop or a cell phone.
Looking at the exclusions
Now, it is important to note that even a personal belongings cover comes with its own set of exclusions. These exclusions help ensure that the overall car insurance policy’s premium stays affordable for the policyholder.
Generally, any claim under this add-on is invalid if:
- The vehicle was in the possession of someone else (friend/relative/any third party) at the time of theft
- The items in the vehicle are not the personal property of the insured policyholder
- The insured party forgets to mention the list of personal belongings in their police report
- The theft remains unreported within 24 hours of the insured party discovering it
Additionally, any documents left in the car are not covered under this add-on. Some insurance policies may also not accept the claim if the theft has happened as a result of carelessness on the vehicle owner’s part. Each insurance provider will have their own list of what is included or excluded under personal belongings cover so, be sure to inquire into the details.
Process of filing claim
If your vehicle has unfortunately been stolen, you need to immediately file an FIR at the police station. After filing an FIR, make sure to contact your insurance provider so that they can guide you on what you need to do to make a proper claim. Make sure to complete both these steps within 24 hours of discovering the theft.
You will have to fill a theft claim form and submit it along withthe documents that are needed by your insurance provider such as the FIR report copy and report of police investigation. Once you have duly completed the process of filing a claim, your insurance provider will get in touch with you about further steps as per their system. Also, do not forget to inform the RTO about the theft of your vehicle.
A comprehensive car insurance policy can truly help safeguard you from financial loss in the event of car theft. Make sure to supplement your car insurance policy with add-ons like personal belongings cover to increase the scope of reimbursement. Discuss your needs in detail with an insurance advisor before signing up for a policy. Finally, remember that insurance is mandatory for all motorists in India. We hope this article has been helpful. Drive safe.
