Consumer commission directs ICICI Lombard to pay compensation for denied motor insurance claim

Jodhpur: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jodhpur-I, directed ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd. Wednesday to pay compensation to a policyholder after finding a deficiency in service in the settlement of a motor insurance claim.Allowing the complaint, the Commission bench, comprising Chairman Rajkumar Suthar and member Dilshad Ali, ordered the insurer to pay Rs 2,26,080, the loss assessed by the surveyor, along with Rs 5,000 for mental agony and Rs 6,000 towards litigation costs. The amount was has to be paid within two months, failing which it would carry interest at 6% per annum.
The complaint was filed by Ruparam, a resident of Bhopalgarh in Jodhpur district, who had insured his Mahindra car under a comprehensive package policy in Jan 2019. According to the case record, the vehicle suffered damages on Oct 6, 2019, after a stone struck the underside while the car was in motion, leading to engine failure. The complainant got the vehicle repaired and incurred expenses of Rs 2.51 lakh after the insurer declined the claim, citing policy conditions and survey findings.However, after examining the policy terms, documents, and the surveyor's assessment, the Commission held that the insurer could not deny liability on the ground that engine damage was not covered, as no such exclusion was specified under the own-damage cover during the policy period. The Commission concluded that non-settlement of the admissible claim amounted to a deficiency in service.