The arrival of the rainy season to insure additional risks for vehicles

In the event of heavy rain, it is not unusual for a car engine to be damaged. Most vehicle owners only insure vehicle loss insurance and do not insure the wading insurance as an additional insurance. At this time, disputes between the owner and the insurance company can easily arise. Jia Hui, a lawyer from Beijing Deheng Law Firm, reminded that the owner should pay close attention to the terms and scope of application of the additional insurance, and insure the vehicle with appropriate additional risks when the rainy season arrives to avoid unnecessary losses.

The wading insurance is also called engine wading loss insurance, which belongs to an additional insurance in the commercial insurance of motor vehicles. It can compensate for the losses caused by the insurance vehicles wading on the accumulated water surface or after the engine is flooded. According to Sun Hongsi, marketing officer of China Life Insurance Beijing Co., Ltd. in Heishan, according to the Motor Vehicle Commercial Insurance Demonstration Clause issued by the Insurance Industry Association in 2012, the engine wading loss insurance covers the inflow of the insured motor vehicle during use. The resulting direct damage to the engine, the insurance coverage of a 15% absolute deductible. The wading insurance provisions of various insurance companies are roughly the same as the above, but there are some differences in the description of insurance liabilities.

Sun Hongsi said that the type of insurance that is closely related to the wading insurance is the vehicle loss insurance as the main insurance, such as the motor vehicle loss insurance, which is the main insurance in the Motor Vehicle Commercial Insurance Model Clause issued by the Insurance Industry Association in 2012. The responsibility includes the direct loss of the insured motor vehicle due to heavy rain or flooding, but the engine damage caused by the engine flooding is usually listed as one of the cases of liability exemption. As a supplementary insurance, wading insurance is a supplementary relationship with vehicle loss insurance. Under what circumstances can you be compensated according to the vehicle loss insurance and what can only be compensated according to the wading insurance?

For the upcoming rainy season, due to disputes that may occur with motor vehicles wading, Jia Hui explained that if the engine is flooded due to heavy rain, the driver should no longer force the vehicle to start. In this situation, the engine is started again. It is easy to cause engine damage or even scrap. The losses caused by the heavy rain causing the engine to start up again after entering the water are generally not within the scope of the vehicle damage insurance compensation. If the insurance coverage for the wading insurance is obtained, compensation can be obtained. In addition, as a result of rainstorms leading to engine flooding, if the driver does not start the vehicle again, in the event of losses (including possible engine damage), claims can be made through the vehicle loss insurance. For road surface water after rain, which causes water damage to the engine, only insured vehicle damage insurance is not compensable. Jia Hui said that the water area after the rain is a condition that the driver can avoid. Only the insurance coverage for wading insurance can be compensated.

For the current associative water insurance accessory products launched by many insurance companies, Life Life Insurance Co., Ltd. believes that from the specific design and marketing of products, the differences between products are narrowing, and customers can choose according to specific needs. In the case cited by Jia Hui above, she believes that claims should be settled in accordance with the specific legal procedures and actual conditions. It is not that the customer will do everything after buying the relevant product.

Jia Hui said that in actual operation, insurance companies should make clear instructions on the insurance products and related insurance clauses when they sell motor vehicle damage insurance and wading insurance, and in particular, the disclaimer on vehicle damage insurance should be based on its contents and laws. Consequences, etc. actively perform the interpretation or notification obligation to the applicant, otherwise the exemption clause does not have legal effect. In practice, there are no cases in which insurance companies have been found to be responsible for insurance liabilities because the insurance company has not fully performed its stated obligations. Only on the basis of good faith, allowing consumers to make clear choices can avoid unnecessary disputes and protect the interests of insurance companies.