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Motor Claim Guide · 7-14 days for cashless network repair; 17-30 days for reimbursement route

Motor own-damage claim filing

Intimation, surveyor visit, estimate approval, cashless network repair, and what to do if the workshop and insurer disagree.

An own-damage (OD) claim is the process by which the comprehensive component of a motor insurance policy reimburses repair costs for damage to your own vehicle. The OD cover sits alongside the mandatory third-party (TP) liability cover that Indian law requires under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988; together they make up a 'comprehensive' or 'package' motor policy. Where TP covers your liability to third parties, OD covers the damage to your own car — collision, accidental fire, vandalism, natural calamity, malicious damage — subject to standard exclusions and the depreciation grid baked into the IRDAI motor tariff. The OD claim sequence is procedural and reasonably quick when followed cleanly: intimate the insurer within 24-72 hours, do not move the vehicle until a surveyor has assessed it, choose between cashless network repair and reimbursement, get the repair estimate approved, complete the repair, and pay only the deductibles, depreciation, and inadmissible items at the end. The standard cashless workshop route closes most claims in 7-14 days from intimation; reimbursement adds another 10-15 days for document review and NEFT settlement. This guide walks through the entire OD sequence — at-the-accident actions, intimation, surveyor visit, estimate approval, the choice between cashless and reimbursement, the depreciation grid (0% glass, 30% fibre/plastic/rubber, 50% metallic parts), and what changes if you hold a zero-depreciation add-on. The worked example used throughout is a ₹85,000 repair on a 3-year-old car with a zero-dep add-on, ultimately settled at ₹81,000 after a ₹2,000 compulsory deductible and ₹2,000 of consumables.

Before you start — keep these ready

  • Policy schedule and the latest renewal certificate (showing OD validity dates)
  • Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC)
  • Driver's licence of the person who was driving at the time of the accident
  • Insurer / surveyor helpline numbers from the back of the policy card
  • Phone with a working camera for accident-scene photographs
  • Cancelled cheque or bank statement of the policyholder for reimbursement-route NEFT credit

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Ensure safety at the accident scene

    Immediately

    Move passengers to a safe location, switch on the hazard lights, and place a warning triangle if you have one. If anyone is injured, call 108 (medical) or 100 (police) before anything else. Do not move the vehicle if the accident is serious — moving evidence weakens the surveyor's later assessment.

  2. 2

    Photograph everything before anything moves

    Before any movement

    Take photographs from at least four angles of your vehicle, the other vehicle (if applicable), the registration plates, the surrounding road and signage, any skid marks, and any visible injury. The IRDAI motor surveyor's first task is to reconstruct the accident, and your photographs are the surveyor's most reliable input.

    • Capture the damaged area in both wide-angle and close-up frames
    • Photograph the odometer reading — relevant for depreciation calculation
  3. 3

    Intimate the insurer within 24-72 hours

    Within 24-72 hours

    Call the insurer's claim helpline, log a claim on the mobile app, or send a written intimation through the insurer's portal. Most policies require intimation within 24-72 hours of the accident; a delay beyond this is a frequent reason for query and partial settlement. Note the claim reference number — every subsequent document carries it.

  4. 4

    Do not move the vehicle to a workshop without insurer instruction

    Until surveyor visit

    The insurer assigns a surveyor (a licensed IRDAI motor surveyor) who must inspect the damaged vehicle before any repair starts. Moving the vehicle to a workshop or starting repair before the surveyor's visit gives the insurer a clean reason to deny part of the claim on the ground that pre-accident damage cannot be separated from accident damage.

  5. 5

    Surveyor inspects and issues a damage assessment report

    Within 24-72 hours of intimation

    The surveyor visits the vehicle (at the accident location, your home, or a workshop the insurer specifies), photographs every damaged part, examines the engine and chassis numbers, and prepares a Damage Assessment Report (DAR). The DAR lists every part to be replaced or repaired, the labour hours, and the depreciation applicable to each part. This document is the single most important piece of paper in the entire claim.

    • Walk the surveyor around the vehicle — point out every damaged area you photographed
    • Ask for a copy of the DAR; some surveyors will share it on email
  6. 6

    Choose between cashless workshop and reimbursement

    After surveyor visit

    If the surveyor and insurer agree on a network workshop, you can opt for cashless — the workshop repairs the vehicle and the insurer settles the bill directly. If you prefer your own mechanic or no network workshop is convenient, opt for reimbursement — pay the workshop yourself and recover from the insurer afterwards. Cashless is faster (7-14 days end-to-end); reimbursement adds 10-15 days for document review.

  7. 7

    Get the repair estimate approved

    1-3 days after surveyor report

    The workshop prepares a repair estimate listing every part, labour, and consumable. The insurer's claims team reviews the estimate against the surveyor's DAR and approves an admissible figure. Repair work begins only after written approval — starting work earlier puts the unapproved portion at the workshop's risk and yours.

  8. 8

    Repair work proceeds and re-inspection (if any) takes place

    3-10 days depending on damage scale

    The workshop completes the approved repair. For larger repairs, the surveyor may revisit mid-repair to verify that approved replacements are actually being installed (not refurbished or aftermarket parts billed as new). Some insurers also require the policyholder to be present at handover for a brief joint inspection.

  9. 9

    Settle the inadmissible items at handover

    At handover

    At repair completion, you pay the workshop only the inadmissible portion: the compulsory deductible (₹500-2,500 standard depending on engine cc), the depreciation deductions on each part (0% glass, 30% fibre / plastic / rubber, 50% metallic parts), the consumables (gloves, lubricants, cleaning agents — typically not covered), and any betterment charge if a non-OEM part was upgraded to OEM at your request. The insurer pays the rest directly to the workshop.

    • Check the depreciation calculation against the IRDAI motor tariff before paying
    • If you hold a zero-depreciation add-on, the part-depreciation deductions should be zeroed
  10. 10

    Final settlement is recorded by the insurer

    Within 7 working days of repair completion

    The insurer issues a settlement letter listing the total bill, every deduction with reason, and the net amount paid to the workshop (cashless route) or to your account (reimbursement route). For the worked example, ₹85,000 in repair becomes ₹81,000 settled — ₹2,000 compulsory deductible + ₹2,000 consumables — because the zero-dep add-on zeroes out the depreciation deductions on parts.

  11. 11

    Update No Claim Bonus expectations on next renewal

    Before next renewal

    Filing an OD claim resets your accumulated No Claim Bonus to zero on the next renewal, which can raise the OD premium component by 20-50%. If the repair amount is small (under ₹10,000-15,000), it is usually cheaper to absorb the cost yourself and preserve the NCB, especially if you are at the higher 35-50% NCB slabs. Run the numbers before filing for very small claims.

Common pitfalls

  • Do not move the vehicle to a workshop before the surveyor has inspected it — this is the single biggest cause of partial settlement disputes
  • Do not let the workshop start any repair work without written approval of the estimate from the insurer
  • Do not accept aftermarket or refurbished parts billed as new — insist on OEM with the original part bill, or accept the depreciation knowingly
  • Do not forget the compulsory deductible — it applies on every OD claim regardless of fault and is fixed by the IRDAI motor tariff (₹500-2,500 by engine cc)
  • Do not file very small OD claims — they reset your No Claim Bonus and raise the next renewal premium more than the claim amount in many cases
  • Do not let the surveyor leave without giving you their name, IRDAI licence number, and contact — these are needed if a query arises later

Frequently asked questions

Worked example: ₹85,000 repair on a 3-year-old car with zero-dep add-on
₹85,000 of approved repair, less ₹2,000 compulsory deductible (engine 1500-2500 cc), less ₹2,000 of consumables (gloves, lubricants, cleaning agents — not covered even with zero-dep), gives ₹81,000 settled. Without the zero-dep add-on, the same repair would settle around ₹68,000-72,000 because depreciation on metallic parts (50%) and rubber components (30%) would also apply.
What is the depreciation grid the surveyor applies?
Per the IRDAI motor tariff: 0% on glass, 30% on fibre / plastic / rubber components, 50% on metallic body parts (door panels, bonnet, fenders), and an age-based percentage on the engine and battery (5% for under-6-month-old vehicles, scaling up to 50% for over-5-year-old vehicles). A zero-depreciation add-on, where held, zeroes out the part-depreciation deductions but does not zero out the deductible or consumables.
Cashless vs reimbursement — which is better?
Cashless is administratively easier and 7-10 days faster, but limits you to the insurer's network workshops. Reimbursement gives you full choice of workshop but requires you to fund the repair upfront and wait 17-30 days for NEFT credit. For routine repairs at network garages, cashless is the typical default; for trusted long-term mechanics outside the network, reimbursement is the only option.
What is the compulsory deductible and is it negotiable?
The compulsory deductible is a fixed amount you bear on every OD claim, set by the IRDAI motor tariff: ₹500 for two-wheelers, ₹1,000 for cars under 1500cc, ₹2,000 for cars 1500-2500cc, ₹2,500 for cars above 2500cc. It is not negotiable. A 'voluntary deductible' on top of this can be opted to reduce the OD premium — but only do this if you have the savings to absorb the higher out-of-pocket on a claim.
Should I file a small claim if it would reset my NCB?
Run the math. If you are at 25% NCB and a claim resets you to 0%, the next renewal OD premium component goes up by 25% of the OD premium. For an OD premium of, say, ₹12,000, that is ₹3,000 of extra premium. A claim under ₹3,000 net of deductible is usually not worth filing. Calculators on this site help with the breakeven.
What happens if the driver did not have a valid licence?
The Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and standard motor policy wording exclude OD coverage when the vehicle was being driven by a person without a valid driving licence at the time of the accident. The insurer can deny the OD claim entirely on this ground. Verify that the licence was valid (not expired) on the date of the accident before filing.
What is a zero-depreciation add-on and is it worth the extra premium?
Zero-dep is an add-on (extra premium of ₹3,000-8,000 per year for cars) that zeroes out the depreciation deductions on parts during an OD claim. It is most cost-effective for cars under 5 years old, where part depreciation is highest, and for cars in metro cities with high accident frequency. It does not zero out the deductible, the consumables, or any other inadmissible items.

Further reading