How To Claim Third Party Insurance In Nigeria? Car insurance is one of the most popular types of insurance today. This is because of how cheap and accessible it is and of course the number of cars in the country. However, how to claim Third Party Insurance in Nigeria is less obvious. Although the steps to process a car insurance claim in Nigeria may vary from company to company, they all follow the same pattern.
Are you aware that your Third party car Insurance Certificate covers N1,000,000 in property damage? Did you also know that life insurance is unlimited? If you don’t know, now you know. Your Third Party Insurance is more than “the police will let me through” as they say in Nigeria, it is a valid paper!
The question of whether insurance companies pay claims no longer arises because the insurance industry has been reshaped. Don’t hesitate to read why insurance companies don’t pay claims. Now how to claim third party insurance in Nigeria?
What are the steps to process a car insurance claim in Nigeria?
The steps to process an insurance claim in Nigeria are very simple. It’s easy as long as you have all the evidence of the incident. After gathering your evidence, follow these steps to file a claim with your insurance company:
1. Contact your agent:
As an insured, your insurance company would always turn you over to a broker to handle your case. This person is usually assigned during your insurance application process and will oversee everything about you from then on. The real reason for contacting your broker is to file a claim.
Your insurance broker knows what to do and will guide you to the next step. Keep in mind that the auto insurance claim process can vary from company to company.
2. Have your insurance company conduct an investigation
To determine the legitimacy of your claim, your insurance company will conduct an investigation. This is to prevent fraudulent activity and is performed by all insurance companies. In the past, people have cheated insurance companies by making false claims.
As part of the investigation, the amount of your damage was examined and compared with your insurance policy. The investigator would also identify any third parties involved whom he or she can assist by providing witnesses. Once confirmed, your claim can proceed to the next step.
3. A thorough review of your insurance policy
Car insurance is different. Yours will be reviewed and compared to the extent of the damage caused by the incident. This process is intended to determine what is covered and what is not. Finally, they will tell you the outcome, including any deductibles that may apply.
4. Damage Assessment
Because it’s auto insurance, your insurers would hire auto experts to accurately assess the extent of your damage. After completing this process, your insurer will provide you with a list of preferred providers who can perform repairs.
5. Payment finally
The last step after the investigation, evaluation, and repair is payment. Your insurer will contact you regarding the financial arrangement to discuss the method of payment. Remember that payment only covers what your policy specifies.
The time it takes to receive payment also varies. This depends on your insurance company and the severity or complexity of the incident. The larger the amount of money involved, the longer it will take to complete the paperwork and make the payments.
How To Claim Third Party Insurance In Nigeria
Third Party Insurance covers your legal liability (as owner or insured) to third parties for damage to their property (minimum N1m) and any injury or death (unlimited) they suffer as a result of the use of your motorized vehicle. It also covers your legal fees for defending a claim in court. Here is how to claim third party insurance in Nigeria.
To make a third-party claim, please carefully follow the steps below.
Notification:
As soon as an accident, loss or damage occurs and the officer or people on site have determined that you are at fault, contact your insurer immediately. Please note that you must not admit liability on behalf of the insurer; the third party must prove liability or be determined by a court. Call your insurer and request paperwork, write a notification letter, or email your insurer. The letter should contain a very brief description of the incident, including the date and time of the loss. As this is a third-party claim, your letter or subsequent letters must notify the insurer of any forthcoming prosecution, investigation, or serious investigation relating to the incident. In addition, all third-party claim letters, court summonses, and proceedings must be promptly referred to the insurer.
Confirmation:
After receiving your notice, the insurer will write to sympathize with you and assure you that they will process the claim or deny the claim if it is not covered. If the claim is not denied, a claim form will be attached to the letter from the insurer for you to fill out. The claim form asks detailed questions related to the claim. The form helps to get a clear description of the claim. Make sure you fill it out accurately without misrepresenting anything. The information you write down on the application form should match the information on the police report. The insurer will request some supporting evidence for the claim, including:
For property damage
- Repair budget
- Photos of the damaged vehicles.
- Third party claim letters
- Declaration of loss of driver
- Police report
- Driving license of the driver responsible for the vehicle before the accident
For claims of death or personal injury
- Subpoena or court order
- Police report
- Third party claim letters
- Photos of the accident.
- Hospital bill
- Death certificate
- Corona report
- Declaration of loss of driver
- Driving license of the driver responsible for the vehicle before the accident
Once you have received the documents, please attach them to the completed claim form and submit them to the insurer (to avoid unnecessary delays, you should submit the originals).
Investigation:
After submitting the documents, the insurer uses these documents to carry out investigations into the claim. If it is a court appearance, they will represent you or direct you to proceed with your attorney and pay the attorney’s fees. If the claim results in damage to the third party’s car, the insurer will send their technician to settle the claim.
The technician reviews the estimate for the repairs and meets with the shop or third-party technician to negotiate a better figure. After that, the engineer writes his report and sends it to the insurer. The insurer will use the report to prepare and send you a settlement offer or offer letter with attached proof of exoneration. If you agree with the amount, enclose your signature and send it with a stamp to the insurer. But if you don’t agree, return the offer with a letter explaining your reasons.
Settlement Check:
The insurer, upon receipt of your issued discharge slip, will write your check using the number on the discharge slip and mail it to you. You can use the check to pay the third party. It will also be issued to you for legal fees. Please note that there is only N1m property damage liability for a private car. That means if the damage is over N1 million you will only get N1 million and you have to pay the balance. Even if your car was at fault in multiple accident cases (e.g. 2 vehicles) the insurer will only pay N1m regardless of the full value of the claim. You must clear the balance.
Conclusion – How To Claim Third Party Insurance In Nigeria?
Once you’ve paid your premium, there’s not much to get your claim paid if you can patiently and cooperatively go through the process of how to claim Third Party Insurance In Nigeria in this post. However, you can consult a broker when purchasing your insurance coverage so that they can assist you with a claim.
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