Standalone own-damage car insurance provides coverage only to your car against various kinds of damages caused due to accidents, fire, natural or man-made calamities, riots, etc.
However, comprehensive insurance provides both third-party cover as well as cover for your own car. On the other hand, standalone own damage insurance only provides cover for damages to your own car. Buying standalone own-damage car insurance is a good choice when you already have third-party insurance cover.
As mentioned above, standalone own-damage car insurance is bought to secure your own car financially against various damages. However, this car insurance is only ideal for those people who already have a third-party cover and are looking to secure their own car without any additional features.
Once a vehicle owner purchases a standalone own-damage policy, their insurance coverage begins. If there are any damages to the car, the policyholder can make an insurance claim (reimbursement or cashless) with their insurance provider.
When the insurer verifies the insurance claim, it is either paid out to the policyholder as the reimbursement of the repair expenses, or the bills are directly settled with the network garage where the vehicle is repaired.
Car Insurance Partners |
Claim Settlement Ratio |
Premiums Starting at* |
Buy Plans |
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance |
98.54% |
₹2094 |
|
Acko General Insurance |
95. 50% |
₹2094 |
|
HDFC Ergo General Insurance |
99.00% |
₹2094 |
|
Disclaimer: *The premium rates are indicative. The actual premium that you may have to pay may change depending on various factors. Please check the prevailing premium rates before purchasing your car policy.
Now that you are aware of a private car standalone own-damage policy, it is important to understand a fair bit about the benefits on offer:
You can save a lot on insurance premium by opting for third-party and OD insurance, separately.
With OD insurance, you aren’t obligated to stick with long-term comprehensive plans, only to make them last for a mandatory, 3-year period. Instead, you can simply purchase relevant third-party insurance for three years and get a standard yearlong OD plan.
At present, there are several insurance service providers dealing in standalone own damage insurance policies. Therefore, restricted choices should not be a reason anymore for sticking to a comprehensive car insurance policy.
A standalone own-damage car insurance is a good choice for the following types of people:
Anyone looking to financially secure their car at an economical rate
People who have only third-party insurance but want to secure their own car
People living in areas where accidents, theft, or natural calamities are frequent
Every insurance plan has its own set of inclusions and exclusions. Let’s take a look at the general exclusions and inclusions under standalone own-damage car insurance:
Inclusions |
Accidental damage to your car |
Theft and burglary |
|
Accidental collision |
|
Explosions |
|
Fire/lightning |
|
Natural calamities |
|
Exclusions |
Vehicle depreciation |
Illegal driving (without licence) |
|
Driving under the influence |
|
Wear and tear of parts |
|
Accidental damage occurred outside geographical boundaries |
A discussion like this will be incomplete if you do not understand the elementary differences between comprehensive, own damage stand-alone and third-party car insurance:
Comprehensive Insurance |
Standalone OD Insurance |
Third-Party Insurance |
Provides coverage for third-party as well as own damage cover. |
Only provides own-damage cover. |
Only provides third-party insurance cover. |
Comprehensive insurance is not mandatory. |
Standalone OD insurance is not mandatory. |
Third-party insurance is mandatory as per law. |
Cost of premiums is higher than both standalone OD insurance and third-party cover. |
Generally less expensive than comprehensive insurance but more expensive than third-party insurance. |
The cheapest type of car insurance. |
Can be heavily customized through add-on covers. |
Customization options for standalone OD insurance are available through add-ons. |
Generally, no customisation options are available for this type of insurance. |
In insurance terms, premiums are payments that you have to make in order to keep your insurance plan active. Under standalone own-damage car insurance, premiums are determined on the basis of factors like age of the car, geographical location, amount of coverage, add-ons, etc.
Insurance companies use a specific formula to calculate the standalone own damage premiums for cars, as given below:
Own Damage Premiums = IDV x premium rate + add-on covers - any insurance discounts
Here are some ways through which you can reduce your own-damage car insurance premiums:
Do not buy any add-ons that may not be necessary in your case
If you have been using your insurance for a full policy term without making a claim, use the No Claim Bonus to get cheaper premiums during renewal
You can opt for voluntary deductibles to lower your premiums
Buying insurance online can help you save costs like commission and other fees
You can renew your standalone own damage insurance by following the given steps:
Step 1: Visit the ‘standalone damage car insurance’ page of your chosen insurance provider’s website
Step 2: Enter your existing policy details/personal information on the form that appears on the page
Step 3: Select the right standalone own-damage car insurance plan for your vehicle
Step 4: Upload the documents required for the plan
Step 5: Pay the online insurance premiums for the selected plan
Your plan will be activated shortly!
In the event of an accident or damage to your car, here are the steps you can follow to register an insurance claim.
Step 1: Inform your insurer about the damage to your car as soon as possible and about your intent to file a claim
Step 2: Get an FIR of the incident (in case of an accident or theft)
Step 3: Get your vehicle repaired at a garage and keep all the bills and receipts intact. Alternatively, you can take your car to a network garage and get it repaired at no personal cost
Step 4: Submit your bills and receipts to your insurer.
After verification, the insurer will pay you the reimbursement amount. In the case of cashless claims, the insurer will pay off the network garage directly.
The following are some of the best add-ons you can buy for your car:
With the zero depreciation cover, the depreciation of the car is not taken into consideration when you make an insurance claim. So, you get the full market value of your damaged car parts.
With this valuable add-on, you can make up to two insurance claims for your car, but you will not lose your No Claim Bonus.
The engine protection add-on will provide an enhanced level of coverage to the engine of your car, which is generally not available under car insurance.
The personal accident add-on will cover any medical expenses arising out of a motor accident for you.
This was all about the standalone own-damage car insurance policy. Finding the right kind of insurance, when you have many different types of insurance plans can get tricky. To get more information on the best car insurance plan for you, check out the details given on the Bajaj Markets website. You can also use the ‘Car Insurance Premium Calculator’ to get an estimate of your insurance premium.
No, you will also need mandatory third-party insurance in addition to a standalone own damage cover.
It’s not compulsory to buy standalone own damage insurance, but it’s incredibly useful in keeping your car financially protected against damages.
Standalone own-damage car insurance covers damages such as:
Accidental damage
Fire
Natural/man-made calamities
Riots, etc.
No, you will not need any documentation for standalone own-damage car insurance renewal. All you need to do is submit your renewal application and pay the insurance premium.
If you’ve bought your four-wheeler after 1st September, 2018 and already have third-party liability car insurance, you are eligible to purchase a standalone own-damage car insurance.
The choice is entirely yours. You could buy both from the same provider or two different insurers, as per your preference.