I Knocked Into a Lamp Post. Can Claim Insurance Ah?

Can I claim my insurance for the damages? 

This depends on your car insurance policy coverage. If you’ve got a Third Party Coverage policy, then sorry, you’ll need to pay for them out of your pocket as you won’t be able to claim for any kind of damages made to your vehicle.

However, if you have a Comprehensive (aka first party cover) Coverage policy, then the answer is YES. You can claim it under Own Damage Claim (OD) when you knock into objects like a lamp post, tree, divider, etc. However, take note that this would mean that you’ll lose your no-claim discount (NCD).



Here’s how you can make an OD claim:

• Make a police report within 24 hours (as required by law)
• Send your vehicle to a panel workshop for immediate attention. They will identify the cost and sort out the repairs. NEVER send your vehicle to a non-panel workshop as you will sakit kepala when making your claim. You also might end up with more cost for transferring to another panel workshop. 
• Submit the following documents to your insurance company:
• A copy of your police report
• A copy of workshop’s estimated cost of repairs
• Copies of your insurance policy, vehicle registration card, road tax disc, IC and driving license and hire purchase agreement (if it's needed).

In the event where the owner (the TNB/JKR, in this matter) is claiming for the damage of the said object (the lamp post), you can submit a copy of the notice of claim (from TNB/JKR) to your insurance company and let them handle on your behalf. Your insurance company will cover the cost for that too. 
 

My friend was in the car with me and suffered an injury from the accident. Now he’s demanding me to pay for his medical cost. What can I do?

 
Firstly, you might want to rethink about your “friendship” here don’t be mad at the person. Do know that it was your fault that the person suffered an injury and being responsible for it is the right thing to do. 

Now, back to the question, if you’ve purchased an additional cover to your car insurance policy called Legal Liability to Passenger (LLP), then your insurance company will pay for your friend’s medical treatment. The limit of this coverage differs from one insurer to another, so you need to check with your insurance provider on how much of your friend’s medical bills can be covered under your policy. 

Sadly, if you don’t have LLP, you will have to bear the cost yourself. Sobs. Sure, this is just a hypothetical example for now, but we never know what might happen in the future. If it’s a minor injury and your friend is considerate and understanding, the medical cost wouldn’t be an issue between the two of you.

But, what if it was a major injury that involves a massive cost? Better be on the safe side and consider taking this additional coverage. It’ll only cost you an extra RM20 - RM50 (on average) annually - definitely way cheaper than paying for people’s medical costs. The rate is based on your engine’s cubic capacity. You can use this tool to calculate how much LLP would cost.
 

What if someone else was driving my car? Can I still make an OD claim?

Yes, you can still make an OD claim for the damages if you have a Comprehensive Coverage policy. That being said, you’ll need to pay Compulsory Excess of RM400 first if your vehicle is driven by a person who’s not named in your policy. Just think of it like a saman for allowing an incompetent driver to drive the car. 



FYI, a “Named Driver” is someone who can drive the insured car or motorcycle with the owner’s permission and be covered by the insurance with the same privileges as the owner. In Malaysia, you can put two drivers on your car insurance policy for free. You can add additional drivers for RM10 per person. So, if you let other people drive your car regularly, put their name on your car insurance policy because it’s better than paying that RM400 saman. 
 

Is It Worth My Money to Pay for Additional Coverages?

Short answer - YES. Well, it’s not necessary, but if you have the extra money, why not, right? People always say misfortunes never come singly. Yeah, it’s a cliche but there’s so much truth in it. So, if you need a little extra protection for your car, do consider LLP and include the people who drive your car regularly on your policy. Also, don’t forget to check your insurance policy first in case you already have that additional coverage.

Now if you're on the lookout to buy or renew your car insurance, check out Loanstreet's latest portal that allows you to get free quotes right at your fingertips in less than 5 minutes!
*The above article is intended for informational purposes only. Loanstreet accepts no responsibility for loss that may arise from reliance on information contained in the articles.