Post cyclone, claims for damage to property, vehicles poured in, says insurer

KOLKATA: A leading insurance company has received over 200 claims for damage to property and vehicles in the aftermath of cyclone 'Amphan', which left behind a trail of destruction in West Bengal.

At least 86 people were killed and lakhs were rendered homeless after the cyclone battered a dozen districts in Bengal, including state capital Kolkata, on May 20. Sanjay Datta, the chief of claims, underwriting and reinsurance at ICICI Lombard, said on Thursday the company has received 165 property- and 51 motor-related claims.

Asked if there is any timeframe for clearance of claims, Datta said, ICICI Lombard has developed a strategic roadmap for ensuring timely settlement of claims in a safe manner, respecting the norms of social distancing given the Covid-19 situation.

To that extent, the company is encouraging self-assessed motor claims settlement through Instaspect to provide faster claim settlements wherever possible,he said. Keeping in mind the prevailing conditions in the cyclone-hit areas, the company has ensured that bare minimum documents required for the settlement of claims, he added.

Taking into account the ease and convenience of the customers, he said "we have also enabled customers to submit documents directly online using our E-Claims feature which allows for submission of a digital claim form". On some vehicle owners who could not renew insurance during the lockdown period will be paid, Datta said the firm hasn't come across any such case so far.

He, however, said as per guidelines provided by IRDA, wherever the customer (with policy due date between March 25th, 2020 and May 3rd, 2020) has opted to backdate his/her TP component of the policy and premium thereof received on or before 15th May, 2020, the backdating and TP claim, if any, will be honoured. Regarding how the company plans to popularise insurance coverage to meet challenges like cyclone Amphan in future, he said there are continuous awareness programs being run by ICICI Lombard across several mediums to promote comprehensive insurance coverage.

This includes social media campaigns, insurance awareness drives , advisory communication in the form of e-mail and sms and so on, he added.

Source: The Times of India