Frequently Asked Questions
At the accident scene accident reporting
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Q:If I have no intention of making any claim or my vehicle is not damaged, do I still have to report the accident?
A:You should make a report for recording purposes. If no claim is submitted against you, your report will not affect your No Claim Discount or premium.
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Q:What happens if the accident occurs outside Singapore?
A:If the car cannot be driven and requires towing assistance in Malaysia, you can call the 24-hour hotline number at +603 2712 3187 for assistance. Otherwise you may contact Orange Force at 6789 5000 for advices. The towing benefit is capped to an amount shown in the policy contract. Once the vehicle reaches Singapore, it will be towed to the nearest reporting centre for you to file an accident report.
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Q:Why is it important to make an accident report?
A:The accident report will provide us with the necessary information to handle all claims made against you for the accident. Otherwise, you may have to handle and settle any claims on your own.
Private settlement
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Q:Under what circumstances should I opt for private settlement?
A:You may wish to opt for private settlement in situations where there is no or minor damages (e.g. repair cost estimated to be less than a few hundred dollars) to your vehicle.
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Q:What do I need to take note of when I opt for a private settlement?
A:You will need to ensure that the private settlement form is duly filled up and signed by both parties. If cash payment is involved for the settlement, the recipient has to acknowledge receipt of the amount.
You will then need to submit this form to your insurer.
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Q:What is a private settlement?
A:A private settlement is a resolution of the accident among the motorists without involving the insurers. The settlement could be one party paying the other or both parties agreeing not to claim from each other.
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Q:What is the benefit of private settlement?
A:You can maintain a clean claim record by opting for a private settlement with the other party when you have a minor accident. This would mean that you can continue to enjoy your current NCD and standard premium on your policy renewal.
Claim under own policy
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Q:What are my claim options if I am not at fault for the accident?
A:You have the following options:
- Claim from the party who is liable for the accident directly
- Claim under your policy provided you have purchased a Comprehensive coverage
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Q:Why do I have to claim under my policy if I am not at fault for the accident?
A:The other party may make the report in his favour. As a result, you may not receive the full compensation for your claim. For such cases, you will need to pay for the difference.
However, if you claim under your policy, you will get to enjoy the following benefits:
- Immediate commencement of repair and you only need to pay the Excess*
- Enjoy 12 months of warranty on the repair by Income Quality workshop
* Excess is the amount the policyholder is required to contribute before they can make a claim.
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Q:What happens if the Total Excess applicable is higher than my repair cost?
A:You will not be able to receive any claim payout under your policy if the Excess* is higher than the repair cost.
* Excess is the amount the policyholder is required to contribute before they can make a claim.
Income Quality Workshop
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Q:What happens if Total Excess applicable is higher than my repair cost?
A:You will not be able to receive any claim payout under your policy if the Excess¹ is higher than the repair cost.
Excess¹ is the amount the policyholder is required to contribute before they can make a claim.
No Claim Discount (NCD)
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Q:If I am not at fault for the accident but make an own damage claim, will my NCD be affected?
A:Your NCD will not be affected if we can recover the claim amount from the other party. However, if the claim recovery is not successful, your NCD will be affected.
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Q:What happens if I have more than one accident in a year?
A:Your NCD will be reduced to 0%.
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Q:What will cause my NCD to be affected?
A:Your NCD is affected by the following:
- When you make a claim and we are unable to recover the claim cost from any party
- When a third party makes a claim against you
Making a claim against a third party
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Q:Can I revert to claim under my policy if the Third Party claim against the other insurer is unsuccessful?
A:When the accident is likely to be conflicted, we strongly encourage you to claim under your own policy. Once the claim is settled, we will recover the claim on your behalf from the party liable for the accident.
If you proceed to attempt the Third Party claim first, you will breach our policy conditions and affect our position. Hence, we are unable to allow you to revert to claim under your policy.
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Q:Does this requirement delay the repair of the vehicle?
A:The Court has the rights to award compensation for loss of use of the vehicle to the claimant for any delay in conducting the pre-repair inspection of the vehicle.
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Q:What is some important information which I need to know if I wish to claim against the third party?
A:You need to prove that the other party is liable for the accident before you can file a claim against him / her.
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Q:What is the pre-repair inspection requirement of the Non-Injury Motor Accidents (NIMA) Protocol?
A:The Protocol requires the claimant to give the paying insurer an opportunity to inspect the vehicle before any repair is carried out. The insurer is to conduct the inspection within two days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays), upon receiving the notification.
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Q:What will happen if one of the parties does not fulfil the requirement of the Protocol?
A:The Court has the rights to impose costs sanctions against the party in breach of the Protocol.
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Q:Why do I need to pay the claim cost upfront?
A:When the liability of the accident is not clearly determined, some workshops may not want to take the risk of financing the cost of repair.
Some workshops may want you to settle the repair bill upon collection of your vehicle immediately after repair. Others may agree to finance it at the beginning and later want you to pay up when they encounter problems recovering the claim from the other insurer.
The other party claiming against you
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Q:If I am not at fault for the accident, can you contest the claim for me?
A:We will look at all the evidence available for us before we make a decision. If we are convinced you are not at fault, we will contest the claim.
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Q:If there is a Third Party claim against me, will I be updated on the status?
A:We will inform you at two stages:
- Immediately on receipt of the notification of claim from the third party
- Upon reaching a decision to settle the Third Party claim
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Q:What do I have to do when I received the letters or documents from the third party or their lawyers?
A:You will need to submit to us immediately. You can either email us at motor@income.com.sg or submit to us at any Income branch.
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Q:What happens if I insist to contest the claim against me?
A:We are only able to help you if you are able to produce convincing evidence for us.
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Q:What is my role if the other party is claiming against me?
A:Your role is to provide information regarding the accident scenario and verify the extent of damage to the other vehicle(s). We will decide on the payout of the claim.
Windscreen claims
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Q:Can I go to other workshops instead of your specialist windscreen workshops?
A:Yes, you can go to other workshops provided you are insured under Drivo Premium Plan.
However, we strongly encourage you to go to our specialist windscreen workshops as they keep stock of windscreens for most models of vehicles. You will be able to have a faster windscreen replacement.
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Q:Do I need to make a report at the Accident Reporting Centres?
A:There is no need for you to make a report at the Accident Reporting Centre for windscreen damage. However, you are required to complete a windscreen claim form at our workshops.
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Q:If I am making a windscreen claim, will my No Claim Discount be affected?
A:No, your No Claim Discount will not be affected.
Theft claims
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Q:What happens if I am still servicing my car loan with a finance company?
A:We will pay the full payout amount to your finance company and they will settle with you the difference, if any.
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Q:What happens if the vehicle is subsequently recovered?
A:After we settle the Theft claim, the vehicle belongs to Income. We have the right to decide on the appropriate action.
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Q:How soon will the theft claim be settled?
A:The police will need three months to complete their investigation. We will only pay out the claim after the investigation is completed.
Settlement option from Income
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Q:What happens if I am still servicing my car loan with a finance company?
A:We will pay the full payout amount to your finance company and they will settle with you the difference, if any.
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Q:What happens if I wish to repair my vehicle instead of settling it on “Total Loss” basis?
A:We will offer you the Economical Repair Value of the vehicle and you can arrange for it to be repaired at your preferred workshop. In certain circumstances, you may need to top up the difference in the repair cost if it exceeds the Economical Repair Value amount. We will pay you only after the repair is completed and you will be responsible for any post repair issues.
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Q:When will a vehicle claim be settled on “Total Loss” basis?
A:If the repair cost exceeds the Economical Repair Value, we will settle the claim on “Total Loss” basis. The Economical Repair Value is the market value less Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) & Certificate of Entitlement (COE) rebate.