Two-wheelers are one of the best means of transportation to deal with the daily schedules. They help move through heavy traffic and small lanes easily. Along with this, they help reduce the dependence on public transportation. However, you must take adequate measures to protect your vehicles from unfortunate events like accidents and theft. Therefore, to protect your prized possession, you can purchase insurance for bike.
An insurance policy for your bike is designed to provide you with financial assistance for the damage sustained by your bike during different adverse circumstances. One such scenario is the theft of your bike which is covered in a comprehensive bike insurance policy.
Why Theft Cover is an Important Aspect of Your Two-Wheeler Insurance Policy
Out of the different types of vehicles traversing Indian roads, two-wheelers are the easiest to steal. Consequently, the number of two-wheeler thefts in the country has been on the rise for a long time. With such a massive population, parking is a huge issue in India, and sometimes bike owners have to park their bikes on the roadside, making it easy for burglars to steal them.
It is important to note that the recovery rate of stolen bikes is lower as compared to that of cars. This is because a two-wheeler is easy to break apart, and there are active markets wherein burglars can sell the stolen or acquired parts of two-wheelers within a day or two. Therefore, it is pivotal to have insurance for your bike, including a theft cover.
With vehicle insurance for your bike, you get financial coverage if your bike gets stolen. However, the extent of the coverage would depend on the type of insurance for your bike. For example, if you’ve only purchased third-party liability insurance, you will not get the financial coverage for your vehicle. However, if you’ve purchased the comprehensive bike insurance plan, the theft of your bike will be covered, and you will get financial compensation in the wake of the event.
While purchasing a vehicle insurance policy, you must go through the bike insurance details and follow the necessary steps when your bike is stolen to get the insurance coverage.
Here are the steps you should follow if your bike gets stolen
If your bike is stolen, you have to follow a series of steps for a stress-free bike insurance claim settlement. The steps you should follow to ensure a trouble-free claim settlement are:
- File an FIR:
A First Information Report (FIR) is an integral part of a theft claim. First, you must find the nearest police station then file an FIR for the theft of your bike. The FIR’s copy is compulsory proof of the credibility of the theft report and will help the insurance company make sure the theft was not a staged event.
- Contact your insurance company:
Once you have filed the FIR, you must call your insurance company to report the theft and file a bike theft insurance claim. With the advent of technology, you can not only purchase vehicle insurance online but also file a bike insurance claim. The leading insurers in the country, including Tata AIG, offer customers the aforementioned options; you can purchase a TATA AIG bike insurance online and raise a bike insurance claim online as well.
Submitting a bike insurance claim online is an easy process. However, you must provide important information like the policy number and the registration details of the stolen vehicle. Along with this, you must provide as much relevant information as you can to the insurer. Information like the time of the theft and the last known location of the bike is vital from a claims perspective.
If possible, you must also try to get access to any CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the last known location of the bike before filing a bike insurance claim.
- Submit the required documents:
After you have filed an FIR and informed your vehicle insurance company about the theft of your bike, you must gather the required documents to file the bike insurance claim. Here are the documents required to file this claim:
- Attested claim settlement application form
- The original copy of the theft FIR
- A copy of the vehicle’s registration certificate
- Bike insurance policy copy
- A copy of the Driver’s License
- Signed transfer papers from the relevant RTO
- The keys to your vehicle
- No trace report:
If the police cannot retrieve your stolen bike, you will get a ‘No-Trace Report’ from the police. This report will state that the authorities could not trace the stolen two-wheeler. It is an important document as, without it, the corresponding bike insurance claim request cannot be processed. Therefore, you must cooperate with the authorities to get the proper financial compensation for your stolen two-wheeler.
While the process to file a bike insurance claim for a stolen two-wheeler is easy, taking the necessary steps to protect the vehicle is a wiser option.
How you can protect your bike through anti-theft devices
Using anti-theft devices can help you sufficiently theft-proof our bikes. Along with this, insurance companies also lower your bike insurance premium if you have installed anti-theft devices in the vehicle. Here are some anti-theft devices you can use to theft-proof your vehicle:
- Bike alarm security system
- Disk lock for the front wheel
- Ignition immobiliser
- GPS-enabled tracking units
Conclusion
If you own a bike, you must purchase a suitable insurance plan for the vehicle. Many insurers allow customers to purchase two-wheeler online insurance and file the claim online as well. With an adequate vehicle insurance policy, you can be financially protected against adverse events such as theft and accidents.
Getting theft insurance coverage for your bike can provide you with extensive protection. However, you must follow the proper procedure to file an insurance claim for your two-wheeler’s theft.