Non-reporting of Accidents

What should you do if the other party fails to report a non-injury motor accident to his insurer?

You may contact the third party insurer, who will then remind its policyholder to file an accident report. If the policyholder fails to file the report despite his insurer’s reminders, the insurer will inform the Traffic Police, which will then intervene and again remind the policyholder to file the report.

What happens if a policyholder fails to make an accident report?

Policyholders face serious consequences if they fail to file an accident report, as this constitutes a breach of the insurance policy condition. The insurer is entitled to repudiate liability, resulting in the insured’s loss of protection under the policy. Insurers may also cancel the policy, decline to invite renewal of policy or confiscate the NCD entitlement of policyholders if there is any delay in reporting accidents.

Why do insurers require an accident report from their policyholder before acting on a third-party claim?

Insurers require an accident report from their policyholders before acting on a third-party claim to make sure the claim is valid, i.e., their policyholder was indeed involved in the accident. Only then will they be able to investigate the accident to determine if their policyholder was at fault in the accident and to what extent they were responsible for it.

Does your insurer need an accident report from the other party if it is also the insurer of that party?

Yes, it does. It is the motor insurance industry’s practice in our claims handling protocol to review accident reports filed by policyholders and the third party to establish which party is at fault, and then determine the liability to be assumed by each party. However, in the absence of such reports from both parties, insurers face a great challenge to assess liability from each party.