Does Car Insurance Provide Coverage if You Hit a Traffic Light Pole?

Have you ever wondered what to do if you accidentally hit a traffic light pole with your car?

In that situation, can you count on your insurance to cover the damage to your car, or will you have to bear the repair cost yourself?

Can you claim from your car insurer if you hit a traffic light pole?

Yes. Depending on your insurance policy, you can make an insurance claim if you hit a traffic light pole with your car.

You can only claim for the damage if you own a comprehensive insurance policy. You can claim for the damage under Own Damage Claim if your car hits objects on the road such as traffic light poles, trees and road dividers.

Effect to your NCD

Note that if you claim the Own Damage Claim, you will lose your No Claim Discount (NCD).

Assuming that your NCD rate is 55%, your NCD rate will return to 0% after your claim’s approval. This will result in a higher insurance premium during your next insurance renewal.

How to make an own damage claim

The steps to make an own damage claim are as follows:

1. Contact your insurance company to inform them of the accident within 7 days of the accident. If your car is severely damaged, contact your insurance hotline for emergency assistance.
2. Immediately make a police report within 24 hours of the accident.
3. Send your car to a panel workshop for inspection. Should you send it to a non-panel workshop, this may complicate the insurance claim process and possibly increase the repair cost.
4. Prepare and submit to your insurer the required documents as follows:
   1. Claim form
   2. Police report (original)
   3. Identity card (copy)
   4. Driving licence (copy)
   5. Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC) (copy)
5. Check with your insurer on the vehicle parts repaired or replaced by the panel workshop.
6. Sign the vehicle release form once you are satisfied with the repair work.

What if somebody else hits a traffic light pole with your car?

But what if somebody else hits a traffic light pole with your car? Can you still file an own damage claim?

Yes. You can still claim for the damage under the own damage claim, provided that you own a comprehensive insurance policy.

However, if the driver is not a named driver in your insurance policy, you will have to pay a compulsory excess of RM400.

You can learn more about named driver’s coverage and all driver’s coverage in our past articles.

Get sufficient coverage for your car

Drivers risk running into accidents due to other drivers or their own fault. Therefore, it is best to get sufficient coverage to protect yourself and your car better.

Add optional or additional coverages to your car insurance policy based on the risk and usage of your car. You can learn more about car insurance additional coverages in our article.

Additionally, ensure that you keep your car insurance active at all times. If it is expiring soon, renew your insurance now. You can use Bjak that offers 15 leading insurance brands in Malaysia. Get free car insurance quotes online in just 3 minutes.