In a recent event involving a vehicle insurer not covering the compensation for a buyer on account of a natural event, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Chandigarh has directed the insurance agency to make a compensation payment to the customer for the same.
A complaint was filed by Harish Bhardwaj against Bharti AXA General Insurance, as per which the company denied to him the vehicle insurance compensation amount after his car was affected due to heavy rainfall.
The Case Of Damaged Car
The commission has directed the insurance company to pay an amount of Rs 2,76,442 to the city-based Volvo car owner Harish Bhardwaj, stating that it is liable to the aggrieved vehicle owner for the loss caused by flood, typhoon hurricane, storm, tempest inundation, cyclone, hail storm, and frost, a report suggested.
Bhardwaj said that on August 21, 2017, his car, which was parked on the road in front of District Court Complex, Sector 43, Chandigarh was immersed in 1 foot deep water due to heavy rain after he returned from his work.
The car owner took the vehicle to the authorised Volvo dealer in Chandigarh, i.e., the Krishna Auto Sales workshop since the car did not start, where after inspected it was informed that water seeped into the air filter of the vehicle, which could’ve moved to the engine, leading to a damage.
The workshop staff told him that the extent of damage could be assessed after opening the head assembly, an Indian Express report stated.
Since Bhardwaj had bought his Volvo XC90 insured from the insurance company for a period between February 28, 201,7 to February 27, 2018 by paying Rs 39,629, he intimated the insurance company and raised a claim.
On complete inspection, Krishna Autosales estimated a total of Rs 2,10,737 for the repair of the vehicle. However, Bhardwaj said that since there was no external impact on the vehicle but water filled in the engine, the insurance company declined to pay the claim and made a false assertion of violation of clause 5 of the policy.
The complainant thus, went to the consumer court in Chandigarh to file a complaint.
