Car Insurance Claim in Pakistan: Step-by-Step Guide

To make a car insurance claim in Pakistan, call your insurer's claims helpline as soon as it is safe, ideally from the scene, and get a claim reference number. Get a police report or FIR where your insurer needs one, take photos of the damage and the scene, and do not start any repairs until the insurer's surveyor has inspected the car and the insurer has approved the workshop and estimate. If the car cannot be driven, ask the insurer whether towing is included in your policy before you arrange recovery yourself.

Every insurer's process is slightly different, and the details depend on your policy. The steps below are the general pattern most Pakistani insurers follow. Always check your own policy document and follow your insurer's instructions.

First, know what your policy covers

• Third-party cover pays for damage or injury you cause to others, not for damage to your own car.
• Comprehensive cover usually includes damage to your own car from accidents and, depending on the policy, theft, fire and natural calamities such as floods.
• Many comprehensive policies include extras such as roadside assistance, towing up to a limit, or a tracker requirement for theft cover.
• Most policies have an excess, or deductible, which you pay yourself, and some apply depreciation to parts.

Read your policy schedule now, while nothing is wrong. Save the claims helpline number in your phone and keep a photo of your policy document with you.

Step 1: Make the scene safe

Your safety comes before any claim. Check for injuries and call Rescue 1122 if anyone is hurt. Switch on the hazards, move the car out of traffic if it is safe and legal to do so, and put out a warning triangle. On a motorway, get everyone behind the barrier and call Motorway Police on 130; in a city, call 15.

Step 2: Inform your insurer quickly

Most policies require you to report a claim within a set time. Call the claims helpline as soon as you can and give your policy number, the car's registration number, where and when it happened, and a short description. Note the claim reference number and the name of the person you spoke to.

If the car cannot be driven, tell the insurer immediately and ask whether they will arrange towing or reimburse it. Some insurers want the car taken to a specific workshop or yard. Arranging your own recovery is fine if the insurer agrees, but ask first so you do not end up paying for a tow that the policy would have covered, or towing the car to the wrong place.

Step 3: Police report or FIR

For theft, serious accidents, accidents involving injury, and accidents where the other party disputes fault, your insurer will normally need a police report or FIR. For minor damage, some insurers accept a claim without one. Ask your insurer what they need for your case. If police attend the scene, note the officer's name and the police station.

Step 4: Gather evidence

• Photos of the damage from several angles, the whole scene, the other vehicle and its number plate, road signs and road conditions.
• Dashcam footage, if you have it. Save it before it is overwritten.
• The other driver's name, phone number, CNIC number, vehicle registration and insurer.
• Names and numbers of any witnesses.
• In cities with Safe City cameras, such as Islamabad and Lahore, tell the police the time and location; footage may help establish what happened.

Step 5: Documents insurers usually ask for

• The completed claim form.
• A copy of the vehicle registration book or card.
• A copy of the driver's CNIC and driving licence.
• The policy document or schedule.
• The police report or FIR, where required.
• Photos and repair estimates.
• For theft claims: original keys, tracker records and other documents your insurer lists.

Step 6: The surveyor's inspection

Your insurer will usually send a surveyor to inspect the car and assess the damage, or ask you to bring it to an approved workshop for inspection. Do not start repairs, and do not dispose of damaged parts, before the surveyor has seen the car. If you need to move the car for safety or storage, tell your insurer and keep a record of where it has gone.

Step 7: Workshop, estimate and approval

Many insurers work with approved or panel workshops, often including authorised dealers. Some let you choose your own workshop, subject to approval of the estimate. The workshop prepares an estimate, the surveyor reviews it, and the insurer approves it before work begins. Ask for written confirmation of what is approved and what you will pay yourself, including the excess and any depreciation.

Step 8: Repair, collection and payment

Once repairs are done, inspect the car carefully before you accept it: panel gaps, paint match, lights, sensors and any warning lights. Your insurer will either pay the workshop directly or reimburse you, depending on the arrangement. Keep copies of every invoice and message until the claim is closed.

Flood and rain damage claims

Flood damage is covered by some comprehensive policies under natural calamities, but not all. If your car has been in flood water, do not try to start it; starting a flooded engine can cause serious damage that an insurer may treat as avoidable. Photograph the water level against the car, inform your insurer and have the car moved on a flatbed.

Common mistakes that delay claims

• Reporting the claim late.
• Starting repairs before the surveyor's inspection.
• Not having a valid driving licence or using the car outside the policy's terms.
• Missing documents, especially the FIR for theft.
• Agreeing a private settlement at the scene without telling your insurer.

A claim goes far more smoothly when the insurer hears about it early, sees clear evidence and inspects the car before anything is changed. When in doubt, call your insurer before you act.