TODAY, I want to conclude the series of write-ups on insurance which I embarked on a fortnight ago.
Just to refresh the memories of readers and also afford those who may not have followed the last two editions of Policy Analysis, the first articles on insurance was motivated by my personal experience.
That followed a road traffic mishap I was involved in on March 3, this year in Lusaka while I was going for work around 07:30 hours when another motorist hit into my motor vehicle from behind.
As I stated then my experience with the insurance on this issue was not encouraging.
As a victim of the accident, you are given so many tasks to do and most of them could clearly be seen and understood as having been aimed at frustrating you so that you stop the claim.
Despite producing the police report and other documents, the insurance firm officials would demand for all the original documents whose copies you have furnished them with and have already been authenticated by the police.
At one time the insurance document for their counterpart, my insurer as the third party became the subject as the officials tried to discredit the policy I had with the insurer of my damaged car.
Before that you are given a catalogue of about 30 garages dotted in different parts of the city where you have to get at least three quotations, amid laborious paperwork.
This means that for that week one has to be dedicated to the sourcing of these quotations and paperwork, abandoning all other daily chores.
Ironically, this is the same person whose car has been damaged, who has to go round the city looking for these garages!
This is followed by the frequent visits to the insurance firm to push for the processing of the papers.
Even when one has done all this, and when one thinks it is over, there is the issue of the victim’s insurer confirming that the policy one has is valid, which could take another one week or so.
Then there is the issue of the long periods of repairs which for me took six working days.
That brings in another issue, the cost of alternative transport while the car is undergoing repair and who meets it.
I said I now understood why most motorists have to be forced by the law to insure their motor vehicles.
Then last week we featured reactions from readers who had similar, if worse experiences.
These include people like Elias whose claim has not been honoured since December 2015.
They all lamented on the long periods and the cumbersome procedures involved before a claim could be honoured.
From my short interaction with one insurance firm, I could tell that there is little information sharing among the players in the sector.
I feel something in the fashion of interbank clearing meetings should be set up to look at claims involving different insurance firms.
The members of the clearing group who should be drawn from all insurance firms would be able to verify the policies.
I have been looking around for relevant documents to ascertain whether there is any maximum period a motor vehicle insurance claim should take to be honoured but I have been unsuccessful.
If there is not any such timeframe there is need for the authorities to come up with one.
Connected to that, information should be availed to the insured on what they should expect, should an insurance claim arise.
Then there is the aspect of who caters for transport costs and payments related to the road traffic accidents in which a car is damaged for instance.
Why can’t the law clearly state that either the insurance firm of the person who caused the accident should bear this cost or the person who caused the accident instead of the innocent victim of such an accident?
There have been some people who, after causing accidents, have surrendered their cars to their victims during the course of repairs but I do not think that is backed by the law and it should be.
In short, the law should protect the interest of law-abiding motorists who have been buying motor vehicle insurance policies and fall victim of accidents.
Imagine on the fault of not your own losing a car because it has become a write off and you remain without one while, as usually happens, the basher of your car remains unaffected!
Like I stated, motorists should enjoy and not endure insuring their vehicles, like bank accounts holders are now doing, for instance.
Ironically, at one time workers could only open bank accounts because it had become law that all salaries would be paid through cheques and, therefore, everyone had to have a bank account.
With various innovations, the banks have slowly made banking enjoyable what with all those transactions one can undertake just through a phone!
This is as it should be and one hopes insurance could become enjoyable not endurable!

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