Motor Insurance Claim: Third-Party Claims — Additional Steps
An accident on the road is disorienting, frightening, and leaves most people completely unsure of what to do next. The instinct is to focus entirely on the physical situation — checking for injuries, moving vehicles, and managing the immediate crisis. This is correct. But what happens in the first hour after an accident significantly impacts your ability to file a successful motor insurance claim. Poor decisions in those first 60 minutes — repairing the vehicle before the insurer’s surveyor sees it, not filing an FIR, not collecting critical information at the scene — can result in partial or complete claim rejection. This guide tells you exactly what to do, minute by minute.
The First 5 Minutes — Safety First, Always
Check yourself and any passengers for injuries. Call emergency services (ambulance: 108, police: 100 or 112) immediately if anyone is injured. Do not move injured persons unless the vehicle is in immediate danger of fire or further impact — moving injured people incorrectly can worsen spinal injuries. If the vehicle can be moved safely and is blocking traffic, move it to the side of the road and activate hazard lights. If it cannot be moved, set up triangular warning signs or use any available markers to warn approaching traffic. Personal safety and the safety of others at the accident scene is the absolute first priority — insurance claims come later.
Minutes 5 to 20 — Document Everything at the Scene
Once immediate safety is managed, begin systematic documentation of everything at the accident scene. Your smartphone is your most important claim tool. Photograph the entire scene comprehensively: all vehicles involved from multiple angles, close-up of all points of damage on your vehicle and other vehicles, license plates of all vehicles involved, road conditions at the point of impact, any skid marks, road signs, traffic signals, and the broader road context. If there are witnesses — pedestrians, shopkeepers, other drivers who stopped — photograph their presence in the scene.
Collect the following information from the other driver if there are other vehicles involved: full name and address (request Aadhaar or driving licence as verification), driving licence number, vehicle registration number, insurer name and policy number of their vehicle (insurance certificate is physically required to be carried in every vehicle). Record this information in writing — photograph the other driver’s documents rather than writing manually to avoid transcription errors.
Note the exact location of the accident — GPS coordinates (your phone can show these), nearest landmark, road name, and direction of travel. Note the time of accident. Note weather conditions at the time if relevant (heavy rain reducing visibility, for example).
If there are CCTV cameras visible near the accident scene — at shops, traffic signals, petrol stations — note their presence. CCTV footage is valuable evidence for disputed claims and can be requested later by the insurer or police.
Minutes 20 to 40 — Contact Your Insurer Immediately
Call your insurer’s 24-hour motor claims helpline immediately after documenting the scene. The helpline number is on your insurance certificate, on the insurer’s website, and ideally saved in your phone contacts before any accident occurs. Most major insurers — HDFC ERGO, ICICI Lombard, Bajaj Allianz, Tata AIG, Acko — have round-the-clock helplines specifically for accident claims. Provide the following when calling: your policy number, the date, time, and location of the accident, a brief description of what happened, the extent of visible damage to your vehicle, whether any injuries occurred, and the other vehicle’s details if applicable.
The insurer will note the claim intimation and provide a claim reference number — record this number carefully. They will advise on the next steps specific to your situation: whether a spot surveyor will be dispatched, which cashless garage to take the vehicle to, or whether you should get the vehicle towed. Do not make any decisions about vehicle repair or towing without this guidance from the insurer.
Third-Party Claims — Additional Steps
If the accident injured another person or damaged another person’s property, the third-party liability component of your insurance is activated. The injured third party or the damaged property owner can directly claim against your third-party insurer. However, you must report the accident to the police if there is bodily injury to another person — this is a legal requirement under the Motor Vehicles Act. File an FIR (First Information Report) at the nearest police station, or if the police attended the accident scene, ensure they file the FIR and obtain a copy.
The third-party claim will typically be processed through the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) — a quasi-judicial body that adjudges compensation for road accident victims. The third-party insurer (your insurer for third-party liability) defends your liability case at MACT. Provide your insurer all details of the accident, the third party’s injuries, and all documents requested for the MACT proceedings.
Minutes 40 to 60 — Vehicle Handling and Towing
Do not attempt to drive a seriously damaged vehicle. If the vehicle is drivable and damage is minor, you can drive it to the nearest insurer-empanelled cashless garage — the insurer’s helpline will provide the nearest authorised garage address. If the vehicle is not drivable, request towing assistance through your insurer’s helpline (this is covered under Roadside Assistance add-on if you have it) or arrange independent towing to the nearest authorised garage.
The most critical rule: never get the vehicle repaired at any random garage before the insurer’s surveyor has inspected it. The surveyor inspection — which documents all damage before repair — is the foundation of the claim assessment. Repairing the vehicle without surveyor inspection gives the insurer grounds to reject or reduce the claim because the original damage cannot be verified. Tow to an authorised garage and leave it there until the surveyor completes the inspection.
The Surveyor Inspection — What Happens
Most insurers dispatch a surveyor to the authorised garage within 24 to 48 hours of claim intimation for major claims. For minor claims below a certain threshold, some insurers now use app-based self-assessment — you photograph the damage through the app and the claim is assessed digitally without a physical surveyor visit. The surveyor physically inspects the vehicle, notes all damage, photographs the damage, and prepares the survey report that forms the basis of the claim settlement.
Be present or have a representative present during the surveyor’s inspection if possible. Bring all relevant documents: original RC (Registration Certificate), your driving licence, original insurance certificate, and the FIR copy if filed. Point out all damage to the surveyor — if any damage is missed during the survey, it may not be included in the claim.
Getting Your Vehicle Repaired and Receiving the Claim
For cashless claims at authorised garages, the garage repairs the vehicle, the TPA approves the repair estimate in advance, and the insurer pays the garage directly upon completion. You pay only the compulsory deductible (typically ₹1,000 to ₹2,000), your voluntary deductible if applicable, depreciation on parts if you do not have Zero Dep cover, and any non-covered expenses.
For reimbursement claims (own non-network garage or garage not in cashless network), you pay the full repair bill and submit it to the insurer with all documents for reimbursement. Ensure the garage provides a detailed itemised bill — parts cost itemised separately from labour — as the insurer requires this breakdown for claim assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The other driver offered to settle the damage directly in cash without involving insurance. Should I accept? This is a common situation and the decision has implications beyond the immediate accident. For very minor damage — a small scratch or dent where the repair cost is clearly below ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 — an out-of-pocket settlement may be reasonable if both parties are comfortable and you can accurately assess the repair cost on the spot. For any significant damage, do not agree to direct cash settlement without filing a claim. The reasons: the damage may be larger than it appears and the “cash settlement” offered may be less than actual repair cost, the other driver may later claim injury (third-party bodily injury claims can arise weeks after an accident), and if you have a home loan or car loan requiring proof of comprehensive insurance, undocumented accidents can create complications.
My car was stolen. What is the claim process? Immediately after discovering the theft, file an FIR at the police station with jurisdiction over the area where the vehicle was stolen. File a vehicle theft complaint with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) as well. Inform the insurer through the helpline within 24 hours of discovering the theft. The insurer will ask you to submit: FIR copy, RC copy, all sets of keys to the vehicle (some insurers require both sets of keys as proof that you were not negligent), original insurance policy, driving licence, and Form 28 and Form 29 (transfer papers completed in original for the total loss process). Police investigation typically takes 90 days before issuing a non-traceable certificate. After the non-traceable certificate is issued, submit it to the insurer along with all documents. The insurer then processes the IDV payment — typically within 30 to 60 days of receiving complete documentation. Total process from theft to settlement: 4 to 6 months typically.