What you need to know about first notification of loss in car insurance

The primary purpose of buying an insurance policy, be it a car insurance or a property insurance, is to protect your asset from the losses and get compensation if the insured asset is damaged or lost. However, to get the promised support from your insurance company, you must adhere to certain protocols while filing a claim, and First Notification of Loss is one such important step. Let us know more about it.

What is First Notification of Loss or FNOL in car insurance?

FNOL is the first step you take to intimate the insurance company about the loss. For example, if your car gets damaged due to an accident or any other mishap like a treefall, you must immediately get in touch with the insurer and report the incident. It is the first step to filing your claim.

To notify the insurer, you can call them, send an email or use their mobile application or website to report the issue as per the insurer’s process and your preference.

Important things you need for first notification of loss in car insurance

The steps involved in FNOL for car insurance policy car insurance policy may vary from one insurer to another based on the processes they have. However, you must have certain basic information handy when you get in touch the insurance company, which are discussed below:

Insurance policy number

Every car insurance policy has a unique number. It helps in record-keeping, quick identification of the policyholder, and other back-end processes. So, when you notify the insurance company about the damage to the car, you must keep the policy number handy and share it with them.

Car-related information

You must share the details of your insured vehicle. For example, the insurer may ask you about the car’s registration number, date of policy purchase, make and model of the car, etc.

Details about the loss

You must share details of the nature of loss. For example, you must tell the insurer how the damages occurred, whether it was due to an accident, whose fault it was, where was the vehicle at the time of damage, etc.

What happens after FNOL?

There are two possible outcomes after you inform the insurance company about the loss you incur due to damage to the insured car.

1) Acceptance of your claim

If your notification is accepted, the insurance company will initiate the next steps to process your claim request. The next step is usually conducting an inspection to determine the extent of the damage caused to the car and then the insurer will compensate accordingly.

2) Claim rejection

The insurance company may reject your car insurance claim request if they find that there are any discrepancies in the information you provided at the time of FNOL. For example, if your policy has expired or if you have willingly not disclosed any information about the car, the insurer will not proceed with the claim settlement process.

Final Word

The FNOL is a critical aspect of the car insurance claim settlement process. If your car is damaged or lost, you must inform the insurance company at the earliest. Based on the information you provide, the insurer will take next steps to compensate for the loss. At Zurich Kotak General Insurance, we have a simple process that is hassle free. Visit our website to know more about our car insurance policy.