Car fires can happen at any time. It may happen accidentally or be carried out by an irresponsible party.
When this happens, a question may arise whether you will be eligible to make an insurance claim for car fires.
Car fire accidents
The followings are some of the car burning incidents that happened last year:
- 14 December 2021
Four cars parked near Block E, Apartment P5R3, Presint 5, were on fire. The fire involved Proton Persona, Perodua Myvi, Honda City, and Honda BRV cars. While both Honda City and Honda BRV were charred, the Proton Persona and Perodua Myvi were slightly burnt.
- 26 November 2021
Four cars parked under the parking area tent near a block in Taman Melati Flats were destroyed in a fire. The fire involved Proton Persona, Mercedes, Perodua Kancil and Nissan Almera.
According to a report, the Proton Persona and Mercedes were 100% burnt. The Perodua Kancil burned 60%, while the Nissan Almera burned 30%.
- 29 April 2021
There was also a fire involving four vehicles parked on the side of the road near the Angsana Flats, Hilir Ampang, Ampang.
The incident at about 1:30 pm involved a Nissan Vanette van, Daihatsu Feroza, Perodua Kancil, and Proton Persona.
Can you make an insurance claim for car fires?
The accidents shared above are just a fraction of recorded car fire cases. It is undoubtedly a concern for car owners whether such an incident (car fire) is covered under their policy plan.
Read on as we help you clarify the matter in this article.
You are eligible to claim from your insurer, but..
You may claim from your car insurer for car fires, subject to your policy type.
To make a car insurance claim due to accidental fire, you need to have any of the following policies:
- Comprehensive policy
- Third party, fire & theft (TPFT) policy
You are not eligible to make a claim if you only purchase a third party policy.
Can one claim for car fires caused by other cars?
In most cases, people would claim from their insurer first if their car catches fire caused by another car. This is as the claim process is faster than a claim against the guilty party’s insurance company.
Such a claim is what we call a knock-for-knock claim whereby your insurance company will reclaim from the third party insurance company later.
But don’t worry. Even if a claim is made on your insurance first, your NCD eligibility will remain as you are not the party at fault.
However, this knock-for-knock claim can only be made if you are a comprehensive policyholder.
Steps to claim for car fires
You may follow these steps if you are eligible and want to make an insurance claim for a car fire:
- Take a photo of your damaged or burnt car due to the fire
- Lodge a police report within 24 hours
- Provide the required documents for claims processes including the original copy of police report, insurance policy, a copy of your identity card, and a copy of your driving license
- The insurance company will investigate your case
- Wait for the report from the police, fire department, and insurance company
Get adequate coverage
You may be able to save some money with the most basic coverage that is a third party policy.
However, you also need to think about all the possibilities that may occur in the future.
Fires can occur anywhere, anytime. Therefore, we advise you to get sufficient coverage for your vehicle. As such, get a comprehensive or third party, fire & theft (TPFT) policy if your car is below 20 years old.
You can purchase insurance easily at Bjak. Choose from 15 leading insurance brands in Malaysia to secure the best price. Start by getting your free car insurance quotes at Bjak today.
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