Before you file for a two-wheeler insurance claim, it is important that you go through the fine print on your policy papers to understand what expenses are covered and which ones are excluded. Often claims made by policyholders are rejected because they wish to file a claim for certain costs which are not covered by their bike insurance policy.
You may own comprehensive bike insurance, but the failure to have the necessary add-ons might also lead to claim rejection in some cases. Hence, it is essential that you have a sound understanding of the claim process. You must file a claim only when you are confident that the reason behind your claim is covered by your insurance company. This article gives an overview of five instances when it is advisable to not file for a bike insurance claim.
Five Instances Where you Should Not File a Bike Insurance Claim
- Insufficient Disclosure of Details:
It is suggested to not make a claim when you have provided incomplete information to the insurance company while purchasing bike insurance online or at the insurance office. For example, when you buy bike insurance online, it is possible that some information which you provided might be incomplete. Sometimes, the information provided by policyholders also turns out to be false.
In such cases, it is best to keep the insurance company updated with all the changes before applying for any claim. Failure to do so will not only induce rejection of the claim but might also lead to legal complications.
- Driving Under Influence of Alcohol or Drugs:
If you ride your bike under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and unfortunately, meet with an accident, you must refrain from filing a claim. Insurance companies will not entertain the fact that the policyholder was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other substance while on the bike and would reject the claim.
Moreover, riding a vehicle under the influence of alcohol can cause fatal damage to you or any third party involved in the accident. Hence, it would be best to not indulge in substance abuse while you are riding your bike.
- Fraudulent Additions
While filing a claim, it is highly common amongst individuals to add extra repair costs to the parts in order to save their own servicing cost. In case the insurance provider learns that you are trying to claim more insurance than you are eligible for, the company not only has the power to entirely revoke the policy and make you bear the entire cost of repair, but it also has the authority to terminate your policy entirely.
This can leave a black spot on your record which will make it difficult for you to buy another bike insurance policy. It is indeed an unethical way to claim your bike insurance and must be avoided at all cost.
- Unlicensed or Non-Nominated Riding
If you lend your two-wheeler to a friend and unfortunately, they meet with an accident, the insurance provider will not entertain any claim if the rider did not have a valid driving license while riding. If you do wish to make a claim in such a scenario, ensure that the person you lent your bike did have a valid license during the time of the accident. The policyholder is not liable to pay charges if the rider did not carry a license as it implied that the policyholder granted riding permission to a non-licensed individual.
Some insurance policies cover only the owner of the bike while some policies allow the policyholder to nominate other riders. This is an important factor which the insurance company considers when you apply for a claim. So if the rider who met with an accident on your bike was not carrying a driving license and also wasn’t a nominated rider, refrain from making a claim to avoid legal complications.
- Irregular or Improper Servicing
If your bike was not serviced as per the specifications mentioned by the manufacturer, the insurance provider will not consider your claim in case you meet with an accident. The most popular reason cited by insurance companies in such situations is faulty vehicle parts which might have caused the accident.
Hence, if you file a claim with your bike insurance company, always ensure that you service your two-wheeler regularly based on the instructions provided by your manufacturer which will facilitate the smooth running of your bikes on roads and decrease the chances of an accident due to defective parts.
Conclusion
The volume of the bike insurance price we pay via premiums is too high to be rejected by a claim which isn’t approved by the insurance provider. Hence, we need to ensure that we are not filing a claim for the cases mentioned above. Also, make sure you do your bike policy renewal on time to continue enjoying the policy benefits. Ensure you have got all the facts right before making a claim.
