The car windscreen is an important component of your vehicle. Being made of glass, the windshield of your car can easily get cracked because of some unpredictable scenarios like damage caused by the debris, getting hit by the branch of a tree. But driving with a cracked windscreen is very dangerous and with the constant vibration of the vehicle in motion, even the smallest damage can grow eventually and can obstruct road vision. Therefore, if your car’s windshield is damaged, you should always get it repaired as early as possible. And the good news here is that getting the windscreen repaired or windscreen replacement is just a snap.
A windscreen replacement in luxury vehicles may end up burning a big hole in your pocket if you don’t have the right insurance coverage. But not all insurance policies offer this type of coverage. Windscreen damage is a part of a comprehensive vehicle insurance claim. So, if you don’t have this coverage and have the third-party liability coverage, then you have to pay the windscreen replacement cost out of your pocket.
A vehicle insurance policy that covers windscreen damage?
The comprehensive vehicle insurance policy offers coverage for all kinds of automotive issues including windscreen damage. But what is a comprehensive car insurance policy? The comprehensive insurance policy includes optional coverage that is mainly purchased on top of collision insurance. This type of policy offers coverage for protecting the vehicles from all the damages that are not only caused by other cars but also from the “act of God”. And windshield repair or replacement is one of these services that you can avail of from comprehensive vehicle insurance.
Comprehensive auto insurance offers coverage against Windscreen damages in the cases like:
1. Falling of any heavy object like coconut, rock, etc.
2. Falling of trees or branches on the glass
3. Vandalism, accident, fire, or some other man-made calamities
4. The collision of animals or bird
5. Debris and stone hitting the windscreen when driving
6. Hails falling on your car windscreen during the storm
7. Football or baseball crashing into the windscreen
8. Natural calamities like floods, thunderstorms, hailstorms, or earthquakes.
But one thing you have to remember in this case is that this insurance policy offers wholesome coverage to the vehicles, of which the glass parts are one component. So, before you plan to get this insurance coverage, go through the policy details carefully, and don’t forget to ask the insurer about the nature of the automotive glass coverage.
Now the next question is how to apply for the windscreen insurance claim. And here comes the answer.
• Once your vehicle windscreen gets damaged, inform the insurer about the said damage and file the claim for repair or replacement of the same. Besides, you can send the hard copy or can file the claim application online.
• In case your car windscreen got damaged because of vandalism, then you have to call the police first, then file and obtain the FIR copy, and then submit that claim with the insurer to avail the windscreen insurance claim.
• If the comprehensive policy comes with a cashless clause, then you have to take the vehicle to a service center, which already has a tie-up with the insurer. This will help you to avail yourself of the cashless benefits.
• The next step is to take your vehicle to your chosen garage. The experts of the garage would check the damage and will also advise whether you need to repair or replace the windscreen. Repairing or replacing the windscreen would take 30-40 minutes. And after that, your car is immediately safe to drive. But in the case of windshield replacement, the condition often depends on factors like the materials used and the weather conditions. And here the technician would inform you about the safe time to resume driving.
• Whether you need to repair it or replace it, if the accident that resulted in the damage is covered under the comprehensive policy, then the insurer will pay for the cost.
• But if you don’t want to get the vehicle fixed by any of the tie-up garages, then you can also consider getting it done from a different service provider. Doing this will ensure that you are ready to stake a claim against the insurance policy. But here you may lose the cashless feature mentioned in the policy document. Here you have to submit the bills to the insurance provider when you want the claim for reimbursement.
Conclusion:
So, it is evident that the best way to claim windscreen insurance is through a comprehensive vehicle insurance policy. But still, you should only choose an expert for getting the service instead of choosing someone less experienced. Otherwise, you will get the insurance coverage but at the same time, you would end up getting a windscreen, installed sloppily.