Car Insurance Companies and Claims

  Today is the era of stiff competition and no sector of the country can claim that it has monopoly, thus consumers have score of choices to cross examine before opting any service. It is sad here to code that companies often try to trap consumers through sales gimmicks but at the time of problems relating to services’ or products companies try to harass unnecessarily and if consumer is educated, well aware of his rights and have patience to fight for his rights for sometime as in score of cases it has seen that it takes time, then certainly it will pay dividend to him/her, as government has erect ombudsman autonomous bodies, which protect right of consumers. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum of Mohali in a case, filed by local resident for not getting claims of his stolen vehicle plus harassment by insurance company has ordered to compensate the consumer fully plus slap fine on to company to compensate consumer with interest and expenses of legal action. In the past while giving its verdicts in score of cases different District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums slap fine on the accused companies or dealers if it denies to abide by the commitments make at the time of services to the consumers, then consumer can knock the services of District Consumer Court or State Consumer Court or National Consumer Court depending upon the claim amount but for consumer in this regard only necessity is that they should have in writing from company or dealer, then if court find guilty any accused company or dealer then consumer gets justice with interest and additional monterey fine slapped on the accused company or dealer -

·        Mohit Shah, resident of Mohali, his Tata Safari vehicle was stolen on 9^th April, 2010, and he lodge complaint in the police station. He had insurance of his lost vehicle from Oriental Insurance Company of Mohali Branch of seven and half lakh of rupees. As per words of Mohit Shah’s lawyer Mohit Shah had submitted copy of FIR and non traceable certificate at the insurance company office, after getting both documents from the complainant, Insurance Company seeks closure certificate of court. In response to it Mohit Shah’s lawyer Janak Kumar gave reference to the insurance office of one of the case of Uttar Pradesh State Commission’s verdict in which Justice Sham accept that submitting such stuff is not responsibility of the complainant, but still insurance company  did not clear case of Mohit Shah’s claim. Janak Kumar explain further about the story of Mohit Shah that he completed all the required formalities on 7^th September, 2010 and then make contact with the company to get claim, after waiting for two months more then in the last week of December he met head of branch office and tell him about his problem, but even from him also he did not get any positive response which left him with no other option then to serve notice to the company on 4^th Jan, 2011. After getting notice company again try to drag his case by asking to submit non trace closure certificate, and it was not last time that company seeks any document from him as after receiving it they demanded transfer of registration of the vehicle on to the name of company. On 5^th May,2011 after receiving registration certificate insurance company hand over amount of seventy five percent instead of hundred percent. Mohit shah file case in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum of Mohali to get remaining twenty five percent amount of compensation. Now verdict is out in the case of Mohit Shah by District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum of Mohali and asked accused company not only to refund the remaining amount immediately but also slap fine to the company whose details are –

·        7^th Sep,2010 to 14^th Jan,2011 five lakhs and sixty thousand rupees

·        7^th Sep to 3^rd May,2011 one lakh eighty five thousand rupees and on both these amount interest of nine percent.

·        Five thousand rupees as compensation for legal action

·        Fifteen thousand rupees as compensation on to the amount of registration of vehicle on the name of company.     

So folks that is power of Consumer Court which is pass on by Government of India to its citizens and in this regard necessity is of awareness and action.