Car repair centre pays for insurance goof-up

Business News Car repair centre pays for insurance goof-up MUMBAI: Five years ago, Sushma Khemka suffered losses in the 26/7 deluge as her car ( Honda City) was submerged in water. Khemka had to shell out Rs 2.22 lakh to repair her car. However, she only received Rs 57,785 from her insurance company after the service centre where she had taken her car for repairs passed on incorrect information to the insurance surveyor.

The service centre also failed to submit supplementary estimate for approval. Recently, a district consumer forum ordered the service centre, Bharati Automobiles, to pay Khemka a compensation of Rs 1 lakh compensation along with Rs 5,000 towards costs.

The forum observed that the service centre was under an obligation to produce before the surveyor all documents, material invoice and estimates so as to help him/her assess the claim.

"That obligation of producing all the material before the insurance surveyor was ancillary to the main obligation of conducting repairs," said the forum.

Bhayender resident Khemka's car was insured with National Insurance Co. Ltd. According to the complaint filed on December 4, 2007, Khemka's car was parked in the compound of her building when incessant rains lashed the city. The building's parking area was flooded and Khemka's car was damaged. She took her car to the service centre in Jogeshwari east for repair. The service centre informed Khemka that her car would be inspected by an insurance surveyor and she would be reimbursed. Khemka, who was expecting a substantial amount as reimbursement, was shocked when the insurance firm gave her a cheque of Rs 57,785. Khemka then filed a complaint against Bharati Automobiles in the Mumbai Suburban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum.

Khemka, in her complaint, said the service centre did not produce the required invoice and failed to furnish necessary information to the insurance surveyor. She also claimed that neither did Bharati Automobiles tender supplementary repair work estimate to the insurance surveyor nor did it take the surveyor's approval for repair works amounting to Rs 1.24 lakh.

In a correspondence between Khemka and Bharati Automobiles, the centre had allegedly admitted to folly on its part. However, it denied the allegations in the forum. , saying it had handed over a supplementary copy of the estimate to Khemka and the insurance surveyor. It also said that the insurance surveyor had reexamined the car after the vehicle was repaired. For the latest updates PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market news Today

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