Bike insurance is a vital purchase along with the purchase of your bike. The insurance policy will protect your bike and you from the damage repair costs. Having insurance for your vehicle is an effective way to safeguard it. Before you apply for an online insurance policy for your bike, you should know about the two-wheeler insurance rate, the coverage offered by various insurance providers and the suitability of the plan. Not only can you easily purchase your two-wheeler insurance policy only but also carry out the insurance renewal for your bike in a convenient manner.
As per the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA), 1988, it is a legal compulsion for every two-wheeler on Indian roads to have a valid two-wheeler insurance policy.
However, there may be an event where you might lose or misplace your insurance document. And the absence of such an important document will attract traffic fines and legal trouble until you acquire a copy of the same. While there is no knowing where the lost document could be, getting a duplicate of your bike insurance policy in a hassle-free manner is possible if you know what to do. You can follow the methods listed below:
Download duplicate copy of bike insurance online:
If you purchase the insurance policy for your two-wheeler online, it will be simpler for you to acquire the insurance policy’s duplicate copy. To download the insurance policy for your bike online, you will have to follow the steps listed below:
- Go to the official website of your insurance provider
- Select the policy type
- Enter the policy details, for instance, policy number.
- Verify your account
- Once the verification is done, print or download your bike insurance policy.
Get a duplicate copy of the two-wheeler insurance offline:
- Visit the police station and file an FIR:
If you lose your insurance document, the first thing you should do is file an FIR (First Information Report) at the closest police station. Once you have received the FIR copy, you should send it to your insurance company along with the application. This report serves as an important proof that you have reported the loss of your insurance papers. Therefore, make sure that all the details are correctly mentioned in the FIR as well as the application.
If you are unsure of what to do, you can also choose to update your insurance provider about the loss of the documents first. This will help them guide you and take the right steps towards procuring a duplicate copy of your insurance papers.
- Fill out an application.
If you have lost your insurance policy document, you should first and foremost inform your insurance company about the misplacement. Once you have reported the insurance company, they will begin the process of issuing a duplicate copy. You must include all details related to your policy in the application. The application should consist of details like your name, policy number, issuance date and the policy type. Apart from this, you will also need to include the circumstances which led to you misplacing your policy. If your policy is held jointly, you will need to sign and submit the application with the other individual. You will need to submit an FIR to get a copy of your two-wheeler insurance papers along with the application.
- Float a newspaper advertisement:
It is a legal requirement to publish the loss of your two-wheeler insurance document in the newspaper. While doing so, make it a point to mention that you have misplaced your bike insurance policy, along with the policyholder’s name, the policy number, the two-wheeler’s registration number and the name of the insurance provider. You may also have to submit a copy of the advertisement to your insurance company if needed.
- Signing of an Indemnity Bond:
You will need to sign the indemnity bond on a non-judicial stamp paper to get a duplicate bike insurance document. The bond must have your full name and the signature of any two witnesses. This document will be submitted to your insurer. The bond has to be affirmed by a notary and must be signed in the presence of two witnesses who are not a part of the policy.
Your insurer may also ask you to provide documented proof of your financial status when you are signing the bond to confirm your compensating capability. The insurance company will then investigate and verify your application once you have filed it. Once your application is verified and found to be genuine, a duplicate of your copy will be issued to you.
With the growing popularity of online modes of policy purchase and renewal, this offline method has become redundant. Now, even if you have purchased the policy offline, you can still opt for the online method of getting a duplicate policy document. However, you will need to submit the online application, along with other relevant documents. Make sure to contact your insurance company and get the necessary guideline regarding the process.
Conclusion
A lot of insurance companies have made the process of applying for bike insurance online extremely easy. When you opt to get bike insurance online, you can save a lot of time and also easily access your policy document anytime you want. If needed, you can also carry a soft copy of the same on your smartphone. This reduces the chances of your original insurance documents getting misplaced.
Since driving your bike on the road without at least a third-party two-wheeler insurance policy is a legal offence, you must at least have a soft copy of it on your mobile device. Thus, if you happen to misplace the physical copy of the insurance document, you can follow the steps mentioned above to get the duplicate copy as fast as possible.