To file a car insurance claim online, inform your insurer as soon as possible through its website, app, helpline or another channel specified in your policy. Depending on the policy and type of claim, you may use a cashless facility at a network garage or opt for reimbursement after getting the vehicle repaired at an eligible non-network garage. For retail general insurance claims that require a survey, IRDAI provides for surveyor allocation within 24 hours of claim reporting and submission of the survey report within 15 days of allocation. The insurer must decide on the claim within 7 days of receiving the survey report or 15 days from surveyor allocation, whichever is earlier. Keep the claim form, RC, driving licence and other claim-specific documents ready as applicable.
It usually happens on an ordinary Tuesday. You are reversing out of a tight parking spot, or someone taps your bumper at a signal and suddenly you are standing on the road wondering what to do next. Do you call the insurer first or the police? Will fixing that dent cost you your no claim bonus? And if you have never actually filed a car insurance claim online before, the paperwork alone can feel like a second accident. Most people only learn the process the hard way, mid-crisis, with a dented bonnet and a growing queue of cars honking behind them. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, in what order, so that when the moment comes, you already know the drill.
What Is a Car Insurance Claim and Why the First Hour Matters
A car insurance claim is simply your formal request to the insurer to pay for a loss that your policy covers, whether that is accidental damage, theft, fire or third-party liability. The clock on that request starts the moment something goes wrong, not when you finally sit down to file the paperwork.
Say your car's IDV is pegged at Rs. 5 lakh and you scrape the bonnet against a concrete pillar in a covered basement parking lot, which, in our experience, is where a surprising share of minor claims originate. You are not filing for the full IDV here. You are asking the insurer to cover the bonnet's repair cost, minus your deductible
and any depreciation, unless you have zero depreciation cover.
What trips people up is timing. It is still important to inform the insurer as soon as possible after an accident, theft or other insured event. Early intimation allows the insurer to register the claim, arrange any required inspection and guide you on the next steps. However, a delay in reporting the claim does not by itself mean that the claim can be rejected or closed. IRDAI's policyholder-protection framework requires insurers to consider claims even where there has been delayed intimation, subject to the policy terms and the circumstances of the loss.
Types of Car Insurance Claims: Cashless vs Reimbursement
For own-damage repair claims, insurers generally offer two settlement routes: cashless repair at a network garage and reimbursement for eligible repairs carried out at a non-network garage. With a cashless motor insurance claim, the insurer pays the approved claim amount directly to the authorised network garage. The policyholder is responsible for costs that are not covered by the policy, such as applicable deductibles, depreciation and other exclusions. Under reimbursement, the policyholder generally pays the repair bill first and submits the required documents for reimbursement according to the policy terms.
Basis |
Cashless claim |
Reimbursement claim |
Where you repair | Eligible network garage | Eligible non-network garage, subject to policy terms |
Upfront payment | Once the claim is approved, the insurer settles the eligible repair costs directly with the garage. However, you may still need to bear any applicable deductibles and expenses that fall outside the policy coverage. | Repair bill is generally paid by you first |
Claim payment | Insurer pays the approved amount directly to the network garage | Insurer reimburses the eligible amount after claim assessment |
Documentation | Claim and supporting documents as required by insurer | Claim form, bills, receipts and other applicable documents |
Main consideration | Network garage availability | Ability to pay upfront and meet reimbursement requirements |
Note: Actual settlement timelines vary by insurer and the complexity of the damage. Figures above reflect general industry practice and are not guaranteed turnaround times.
If your own workshop of choice, maybe the one that has serviced
your car for years, is not on the network list, reimbursement is your only option. There is no right answer between the two; it
depends entirely on where your car needs to go.
How to File a Car Insurance Claim Online: Step-by-Step Process
Here is the sequence that actually gets a claim moving, whether you are filing through your insurer's app, website or by phone.
- Report the incident immediately
Call your insurer's claims helpline or log the claim through their app or website. Note down the claim reference number you get; you will need it for every follow-up call.
- File a Police FIR where required
File a police report or FIR when required by the nature of the incident and your policy. It is generally required for theft, third-party injury or property damage, major accidents and certain incidents involving malicious damage, riots or other criminal acts. For a minor own-damage claim, an FIR may not be necessary. Check your insurer's claim instructions before assuming that a police report is required. Carry your RC and driving licence when you go.
- Photograph the damage before anything is touched
Wide shots, close-ups of dents and scratches and the surrounding location all help the surveyor and speed up assessment later.
- Wait for the surveyor
Where a survey is required, the insurer arranges for a surveyor through the prescribed allocation process. Under IRDAI's framework for retail general insurance claims, surveyor allocation should take place within 24 hours of claim reporting. The surveyor then assesses the loss and submits the survey report within the prescribed timeline. Depending on the insurer's process, the assessment may involve a physical inspection or a technology-enabled inspection.
- Submit your documents
Hand over the claim form, RC copy, driving licence, policy copy and repair estimate. If it is a reimbursement claim, you will submit the paid invoice later as well.
- Get the repair approved and completed
Once the surveyor signs off, the garage can start work. For cashless claims, the garage bills the insurer directly.
- Track the claim status
Most insurers let you track progress online using your claim number, so you always know which stage you are at.
When Is a Surveyor Required for a Car Insurance Claim?
The procedure for assessing a motor insurance claim can vary depending on the nature and value of the loss. Under the IRDAI policyholder protection regulations, claims involving a loss of Rs. 50,000 or more require assessment by a registered surveyor and loss assessor. For such claims, the surveyor is to be appointed within 24 hours of the claim being reported, while the survey report should be submitted within 15 days of the surveyor's appointment.
The insurer must ensure that the survey report is obtained within the specified period. Where the surveyor fails to submit the report within 15 days, the applicable regulatory provisions provide for Rs. 500 per day for each day of delay to be paid to the claimant.
What happens if you skip a step?
Moving the vehicle before the surveyor's inspection, repairing it without
approval, or missing the intimation deadline without a documented reason are the three most common grounds insurers cite for
rejecting or delaying a claim.
Documents You Will Need and What Changed Under IRDAI's 2024 Rules
Keep these ready before you even pick up the phone to call your insurer:
- Duly filled and signed claim form
- Copy of your car insurance policy
- Original RC (registration certificate) and driving licence, with photocopies for the surveyor
- Police FIR copy, if the incident involves theft, third-party injury or major damage
- Repair estimate, signed and stamped by the garage
- Original repair invoice and payment receipt (for reimbursement claims)
- Bank or KYC documents may be requested where required for claim verification or electronic payment, depending on the insurer and claim type.
Here is the part that has genuinely changed the game and that most articles still gloss over. Under IRDAI's Master Circular on General Insurance Business, dated June 11, 2024, insurers can no longer reject a motor claim purely because a document was missing at the intimation stage; anything beyond the essential claim form and driving licence is meant to be collected upfront, during policy issuance. The circular is also locked in firm timelines for the claim itself.
Claim stage |
Applicable timeline |
Surveyor allocation | Within 24 hours of claim reporting |
Survey report | Within 15 days of surveyor allocation |
Insurer's claim decision | Within 7 days of receiving the survey report or 15 days from surveyor allocation, whichever is earlier |
Delay in survey report beyond 15 days | Rs. 500 per day for each day of delay, as specified under the policyholder-protection framework |
Note: These are regulatory timelines set for insurers to follow; actual settlement can still be affected by document delays on the policyholder's side or the complexity of the damage. IRDAI's framework prescribes these timelines for retail general insurance claims. It also provides for specified consequences where the prescribed timelines are not met, including compensation for delayed survey reports.
In our experience advising customers through claims, this single change has cut down a lot of the back-and-forth that used to stretch small claims into month-long affairs. If your insurer is sitting on a claim well past these windows without explanation, you now have a specific regulatory timeline to point to when you escalate.
Before you decide whether a small dent is even worth claiming, it is worth understanding how a claim affects your No Claim Bonus, since that discount resets to zero the moment you raise even a minor claim.
Filing a claim shouldn't feel like a second headache on top of a bad day on the road. If you would rather have someone walk you through the process, cross-check your documents and follow up with the insurer on your behalf, SMC Insurance's claims desk does exactly that at
SMC Insurance. A quick call often saves you several days of chasing paperwork alone.
Filing a Claim for Theft or a Third-Party Accident
Theft and third-party claims follow a different rhythm from straightforward accident repair
and treating them the same way is where people usually go wrong.
- For a stolen car, file the FIR first, then submit a copy to your insurer along with your policy and RC. For a stolen car, report the theft to the police and inform your insurer as soon as possible. The claim may require the FIR, police final or non-traceable report, RC, policy documents, vehicle keys and other documents specified by the insurer. The insurer will assess the claim based on the policy terms and the documents and reports available. You will also need to hand over your duplicate keys, a notarised indemnity bond and a subrogation letter. The payout is based on your car's IDV, unless you hold a
Return to Invoice cover, which pays the original invoice price instead.
- For a third-party accident, meaning your car caused damage or injury to someone else, do not negotiate or make any payment directly with the affected party, however reasonable it might seem at the moment. Inform your insurer first, forward any legal notice you receive and let their appointed lawyer handle the case if it goes before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal.
Settling anything on your own can actually work against your claim later.
Useful Guide: How To Claim Car Insurance After An
Accident In India?
What Gets Claims Rejected and How to Avoid It
A few habits quietly sink otherwise valid claims and most of them are entirely avoidable.
Driving under the influence when the damage occurred voids the claim outright, no exceptions. Undisclosed accessories, like an aftermarket stereo or alloy wheels fitted after purchase, are not covered unless you have formally endorsed them onto your policy. And getting the car repaired before the surveyor has signed off is one of the most common and most preventable, reasons claims get delayed or denied.
One thing worth weighing before you claim at all: for a scratch or small dent
that costs a few thousand rupees to fix, paying out of pocket often works out cheaper over the policy term than losing your
accumulated NCB, which can run as high as 50% on renewal.
Wrapping Up
Filing a car insurance claim online is not complicated once you know the order
of operations: inform the insurer fast, document everything, wait for the surveyor before touching the car and keep your paperwork
ready in advance. The 2024 IRDAI timelines now give you a real benchmark to hold your insurer to, with a 24-hour
surveyor allocation, a 15-day survey report and a 7-day claim decision once that report lands. What used to be
an anxious, open-ended wait now has clear checkpoints you can track. The next time something goes wrong on the
road, you will already know exactly what to do and that alone takes most of the panic out of the situation.
FAQs
Report the incident through your insurer's app, website or claims helpline within 24 to 48 hours, share the accident details and choose between cashless or reimbursement settlement. You will then need to submit your claim form, RC, driving licence and policy copy once the surveyor completes the inspection.
An FIR or police report is generally required for incidents such as theft, third-party injury or property damage, major accidents and certain criminal or malicious acts. A police report may not be necessary for every minor own-damage claim. The exact requirement depends on the incident and your insurer's policy and claim procedure.
For retail general insurance claims where a survey is required, IRDAI provides for surveyor allocation within 24 hours of claim reporting and submission of the survey report within 15 days of allocation. The insurer must decide on the claim within 7 days of receiving the survey report or 15 days from surveyor allocation, whichever is earlier. The actual time taken to complete repairs or receive payment can vary depending on the nature of the claim, documentation, repair work and policy terms. In practice, straightforward accident claims often settle faster than this outer limit.
Not anymore, at least not outright. IRDAI's 2024 circular bars insurers from rejecting a claim purely for lack of documents collected at the underwriting stage; only claim-specific papers like the claim form and driving licence can still be requested separately.
In a cashless claim, the vehicle is repaired at an eligible network garage and the insurer settles the approved amount directly with the garage. You may still have to pay deductibles, depreciation and other expenses not covered by the policy. In a reimbursement claim, you generally pay the repair bill first and then submit the required documents for reimbursement of the eligible amount.
Not always. It depends on the repair cost, your NCB, deductible and the terms of your policy. A small own-damage claim can affect your NCB at renewal, although an NCB protection add-on may protect the benefit in eligible cases. If the repair cost is close to or below the financial benefit you could lose, paying for a minor repair yourself may be worth considering.
There is no regulatory cap on the number of claims you can raise in a policy year. That said,
frequent claims can affect your NCB and may draw closer scrutiny from the insurer on future ones.
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