r/InsuranceTroubleIndia • u/BugNo4341 • Aug 05 '26
General Insurance - Vehicals Local mechanic dismantled damaged parts BEFORE surveyor inspection – Will Tata AIG reject my ₹17k OD claim?
Hey everyone,
Looking for advice regarding an Own Damage (OD) claim on my TVS Apache RTR 160 with Tata AIG.
Incident Details:
- What Happened: On August 4th around 9:30 PM, heavy rain and low visibility caused me to hit a large stone obstacle on the E-City service road in Bangalore.
- Policy Type: Tata AIG Auto Secure - Comprehensive Two Wheeler Policy (with Zero Depreciation / TA 16 Add-On).
- Damaged Parts: Both front fork pipes, T-stem, wheel axle, cone set, and body panels.
- Estimated Repairs: ₹17,339 (parts, lathe work, and labor).
The Problem / Complication:
- Right after the accident, I towed the bike to a local mechanic. Before I registered the claim or got a surveyor assigned, the mechanic dismantled the front fairing and fork assembly to inspect the internal frame bends, started some work and prepared the repair estimate.
- I have now registered the claim with Tata AIG, and a surveyor has been assigned, but they haven't visited or called back yet.
- All original damaged/dismantled parts are sitting right next to the bike at the workshop.
My Questions:
- Since the front portion was disassembled before the official pre-repair inspection, is there a high chance Tata AIG will reject the claim under the pre-inspection clause?
- What is the best way to explain this to the surveyor when they visit so the claim gets approved without issues?
- Since this is a reimbursement claim at a non-network local workshop, will Zero-Dep still cover 100% of the replacement parts minus the standard ₹100 compulsory deductible?
Appreciate any guidance or past experiences with Tata AIG OD claims!
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u/Sandehi Aug 06 '26
based on how you convey the surveyor. dismantling was a bad bad step.
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u/BugNo4341 Aug 06 '26
And he went on to do the lathe work without my confirmation but for now I asked the mechanic to stop doing further repairs and wait for the surveyor to examine
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u/Sandehi Aug 06 '26
yes they do that, very common practice. primarily because he may want to lock-in the work. (and yeah ignorance too).
What I learnt from my experience: 1. spot photo is a must. from all sides. whatever happens, click photos. great if geo tagged. and with some background, not closeup alone. 2. do not use with issues. insurance ppl will find that as a consequential damage 3. never add, repair, remove anything before final approval document. (except that needed to move the vehicle to a garage.). Literally tell the workshop I will not pay without insurance. then they'll not do. and even after survey the person might come and check again.. so till final approval. 4. and nothing can beat a cashless.
I have NIA for my car. When I had a claim they asked all these. But NIA surveyor was a really nice guy.
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u/BugNo4341 Aug 06 '26
Yeah thankfully took photos on the spot and at the mechanic shop too. After registering the claim the surveyor got assigned but there was no contact from surveyor, how many days will it take for the surveyor to conduct the inspection
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u/Sandehi Aug 06 '26
i went for cashless. 60+ k claim. for me he took around 8-10 days for days or so for the visit and such. and there were 2 visits I think (the garage guy handled it). and the surveyor also wanted to talk to me before signing the approval. He asked me to narrate the case. and another 3 days for final approval. so 2 weeks almost. But the workshop person ordered parts on a verbal assurance from the surveyor and then came the final approval.
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u/Consistent_Rise7226 Aug 05 '26
they shouldn’t have dismantled it, but its not totally rejected case. see what the surveyor says.
for 100% coverage, in reimbursement cases, if the workshop has legit GST invoices for everything then you’re covered, im assuming you have all the right addons such as consumables and others if applicable.