BEIJING, Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Zuo Yukun, Zhang Ni) Recently, under the influence of Typhoon Du Surui, extreme rainfall occurred in many areas. Under the heavy rain, many vehicles were trapped in the water, flooded or even washed away directly.
According to the Beijing Supervision Bureau of the State Financial Supervision Administration, as of 8: 00 a.m. on July 31, the property insurance industry in Beijing had received 978 related insurance reports and rescued 65 vehicles and personnel in distress, and the follow-up insurance reporting and handling work was still in progress.
For car owners, can their vehicles be compensated if they are flooded? How to protect personal and property safety to the greatest extent?
If the vehicle is soaked in water, will the insurance pay?
Regarding the question of whether the flooded car can get compensation, the owner who bought the car damage insurance can rest assured.
According to the relevant provisions of motor vehicle loss insurance (hereinafter referred to as motor vehicle damage insurance), if the direct loss of motor vehicles caused by natural disasters and accidents is not within the scope of compensation exemption, compensation can be made in accordance with the agreement. Among them, in terms of natural disasters, the scope of compensation includes hail, lightning strikes, storms, rainstorms, floods and many other common natural disasters.
Many old drivers may claim "water-related insurance" when their cars are flooded. Wang Guojun, a professor at university of international business and economics Institute of Insurance, told the reporter of Sino-Singapore Finance and Economics: "Now there is no water-related insurance, and it is all in the car damage insurance. Whether the engine of a traditional car is flooded or the battery of a new energy vehicle is damaged, it is counted in the car damage insurance. "
Specifically, the Guiding Opinions on Implementing Comprehensive Auto Insurance Reform, which was officially implemented on September 19, 2020, has carried out major reforms in China’s auto insurance. As long as the new insurance users and renewal insurance users after the above time point have included additional risks such as water-related insurance in the car damage insurance, they do not need to be insured separately. Insurance can pay for vehicles wading and soaking in water.
The Beijing Supervision Bureau of the State Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau also issued a reminder on July 31: After the comprehensive reform of auto insurance started, the coverage of vehicle loss insurance has covered the losses caused by natural disasters such as rainstorm and typhoon. If the vehicle suffers related losses, please call the insurance company to report the case in time to confirm whether the relevant insurance is insured, and go through the follow-up claim settlement procedures under the guidance of the staff.
Will the claim be affected if the car is washed away?
Heavy rains lead to flooding, and sometimes the vehicles are directly washed away. If the car search is unsuccessful, can I pay for it?
Wang Guojun believes that there is no need to worry at all: "First of all, where the car was rushed can basically be judged by positioning; If it is true that the vehicle is completely washed away and cannot be recovered, the insurance company will generally presume a total loss to make a claim. "
From the specific operation point of view, the settlement of claims for lost vehicles requires the intervention and assistance of public security organs. After the car can’t be recovered eventually, the owner of the motor vehicle needs to issue a certificate of loss to the local public security organ, then go to the vehicle management office to cancel the vehicle, and finally go to the insurance company to make claims.
However, it should be noted that the engine is turned off after the vehicle is flooded, and the engine must not be started again, otherwise it will cause engine damage. If the engine is damaged by "secondary ignition" in the water, the insurance company generally thinks that it belongs to the "loss expansion" exemption situation and will not claim compensation.
What should I do after the vehicle is flooded?
What should the owner do if the vehicle is flooded? Zhongxin Finance consulted the customer service staff of several property insurance companies.
The customer service staff of PICC P&C said: If the vehicle is flooded, you should apply for compensation as soon as possible, but the specific amount of compensation is subject to the opinions of the adjuster, and it should be accounted according to the actual value of the vehicle and relevant circumstances.
Sunshine Insurance staff said: If the vehicle is soaked, it is necessary to contact the insurance company as soon as possible, and the staff should investigate the site, otherwise the site will be difficult to identify after the water recedes.
It is worth noting that in principle, insurance companies have a time limit for reporting claims. However, Wang Guojun pointed out that in the face of special circumstances such as rainstorm, insurance companies will also handle it as appropriate. The staff of the insurance company also said that the actual situation does not necessarily have to be applied on the same day, but it should be applied as soon as possible.
"In case of special circumstances, the owner and the personnel on board must first ensure personal safety, and the car should be abandoned; In the case of purchasing car damage insurance, report the case to the insurance company in time, and then handle it according to the insurance company’s process. " Wang Guojun emphasized that insurance companies may now release reminders such as moving cars to customers according to big data before risks, and pay attention to this.
Will it trigger the overall premium increase?
Property losses caused by extreme weather will naturally bring some pressure to insurance companies’ claims. According to the data previously disclosed by the government, in 2021, the rainstorm disaster in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, it is estimated that the final amount of auto insurance claims in the entire insurance industry may reach 7 billion yuan.
Recently, some people in the insurance industry said that the recent heavy rain has caused the claims rate of various insurance companies to rise linearly, and the subsequent insurance prices are likely to increase. After the rainstorm, can cars that are not out of danger also usher in an increase in premiums?
A senior insurance practitioner told Zhongxin Finance: Usually, the increase in claim rate will lead to an increase in premium, but this should have been taken into account when designing insurance products.
"In recent years, several rainstorm disasters have also reported the loss of many vehicles. It is impossible for insurance companies to issue existing bubble cars this year to apply for claims due to meteorological disasters. When designing products, these car damages will be taken into account in the calculation model. The premium of general auto insurance is comprehensively calculated based on factors such as the service life of the vehicle, the number of accidents, and the age of the insured. " The above practitioners believe that.
In addition, the reporter consulted a number of insurance company staff and got a reply saying that if the vehicle is really out of danger, the subsequent premium increase is normal; For vehicles that are not in danger, we have not received the notice of adjusting the premium yet. However, some insurance company sales staff said that if the flood is serious, the premium may be fine-tuned, but there is no precedent for a big increase before.
Wang Guojun also said that there is indeed the possibility of premium increase in the future. "This rainstorm has increased the overall risk, and insurance companies will increase the proportion of catastrophe risk in actuarial terms in the future, otherwise they may lose money when they encounter the same disaster in the future." However, he believes that the overall premium should not rise too much.
Wang Guojun also reminded that because the car damage insurance is purchased voluntarily by the owner, some people will feel that their daily car damage is not big, instead of buying car damage insurance, they only take three liability insurance. "Considering the special circumstances such as wading and spontaneous combustion, car damage insurance is still necessary, especially for relatively new and high-value cars."
