GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Your home is the place where you have the most beautiful memories. It is the place where you grew up to become the person you are today and where your heart resides. Hardly anyone can wait for their job to be completed so they can rush back to the comfort of their homes. It is the place you will never forget in your life. Even when you grow up and get your own place, your childhood home will always have a special place in your heart. It is the place you saw all your dreams at. It is crucial to protect your home from unforeseen circumstances. In case of fire, you can lose all your belongings and your home and will be left with nothing.

Rebuilding your home will be costly, and not everyone saves up that much money. Getting home fire insurance from fire insurance companies in India is the best way to secure your home. In case a fire breaks loose in your home, home fire insurance will provide coverage for damage, and you will be able to rebuild your home without any problem. Here are ten things you learned in preschool that will help you with home fire insurance:-

• You can ask for an advance from the insurance company in case a fire occurred at your home. You will probably lose a lot of your belongings in the fire, and the advance will help you carry on with life with a bit of normalcy. The advance amount will be cut from your total coverage amount, though.
• Make a list of all the items that suffered damage due to fire. You should not throw anything away as the items though unusable, will be proof that they indeed suffered damage. If you throw away anything, the insurer may deny compensation for it.
• Call the insurance company as soon as possible after the fire. The insurance company will ask you for a list of all the items that you lost and their value. You must include all the items as well as repairs that will be required and injuries suffered by family members.
• Try to reduce any future damage at your home. The insurance company will expect you to protect the property from further damage. You must do some impromptu repairs in your capacity and move the belongings that are unharmed to a safe location.
• Keep all the bills that you incurred while you were living away from your home. The insurance company will only reimburse that you the amount you had to spend overhead from your general living costs.
• Hire a contractor to get estimates for the repair and replacement. Hire a contractor that has experience dealing with insurance companies.
• You must keep paying your insurance premiums even after filing the claim. This will make sure that your house is covered in case any damages occur after the fire.
• You have the right to not close our claim for as long as you want. You might have overlooked something in the trauma after the fire. Take some time to ensure you have covered everything.
• If you are not able to reach a settlement with the insurance company after hiring a contractor, you can hire a public adjuster. He will take around 10 percent of settlement money but can help you get a significantly higher settlement.
• 10. Do not be afraid to lose your coverage because of raising a claim. If disaster did occur, you are doing nothing wrong and will not be treated as a "habitual claimant."

All these things will help you when dealing with Home Fire Insurance . If you do not have a home fire insurance yet purchase one now from fire insurance companies in India.

A good marine insurance guards you and your consignment from a variety of hazardous and unforeseen disasters and events. Below are all the clauses that are pivotal to marine insurance in India-

1. Institute Cargo Clause A- This clause covers all kinds of risks involved from loading and unloading to risks during the voyage.

2.Institute Cargo Clause B- This clause covers lesser risks compared to clause A and must be meticulously checked before buying as it may exclude key risks your type of work may be exposed to.

3.Institute Cargo Clause C- This clause covers the least number of risks and might even be the cheapest. However, the risks are higher at sea and if this clause is being adhered to, then one must research thoroughly before buying.

4.Valuation Clause- In this case, both parties namely, the insurance provider and the customer mutually agreed upon a said value. In case of damages, the compensation will be equal to the value and not any more than that. This ensures that both parties are convinced and arrive on common ground.

Art and Form' Clause- This clause usually states the time when the risk will start and be covered. This is important as most people don't read through the specific marine insurance clauses provided by their insurance provider. For example, if the marine insurance states, 'at and from Chennai' then only risks considered will be post-arrival to Chennai port and when it leaves the port.

Sue and Labour Clause - According to this clause, if an insurance holder has spent money to save goods from impending loss, then he or she is to be compensated for those charges by the insurance company. Additionally, unlike the 'change in voyage clause' here, any deviation does not have anything to do with saving the 'subject matter', the insurance company policy will not become void even in cases of a deviation or change in the voyage.

Warehouse to Warehouse Clause- The marine insurance policy mentions the warehouses that the goods are taken and delivered to. This means the company will take charge if any uncertainties occur while goods are being bought from hinterland to port and also during the voyage.

8. Change of Voyage- Any marine insurance mentions the details and the ports of arrival and departure accordingly. Insurance policies also provide said routes that are to be adhered by and followed. In cases of a deviation, marine insurance companies are not liable to settle the claim. If the route is later revered to, then this change is considered as a deviation. However, the insurer is not liable to secure against losses occurred in any change in the original route.

9. Touch and Stay Clause - This clause ensures that ships stay at the ports mentioned in the marine insurance policy. If a certain port is not mentioned, a ship must follow the routes given in policy and stay at the mentioned ports only. Only emergencies and justifiable reasons will be considered for calling at ports.

10. Inchmaree Clause - Under this clause, the negligence of the master or crew members are also covered under the insurance policy. Apart from this, other losses occurred during loading and unloading operations will also be duly recovered.

11. Jettison - In certain circumstances, shops may have to throw excessive luggage when it's the only way to save them. This is called Jettison and must be done intentionally and immediately.

12. Memorandum Clause - Under this clause, the insurance company does not have to pay for the losses of perishable goods. These losses will not have to be paid by the policyholder either.

With the awareness of the above clauses, you can be prepared to obtain a good Marine Insurance in India and be certain that the cover includes the above clauses. This will also help you in obtaining a good deal.

The outbreak of COVID 19 has affected millions of people across the world. This infectious disease is caused by a family of viruses that results in acute respiratory illnesses and might also include pneumonia, kidney, and lung failure. In critical and severe conditions, it might also lead to multiple organ failures. In such a situation, you must have coronavirus insurance, which can act as a protective cover. For this, you must look for the best insurance policy in India, which will help you to deal with any medical emergency.

What is the importance of Coronavirus health insurance?

Coronavirus Health Insurance is an insurance policy that covers the medical expenses that will be needed during the treatment of COVID 19. It is designed in a way so that it can cover your hospital expenses from the time the ailment is diagnosed until the time you have fully recovered. Since this is a viral infection, the health insurance policy will pay the hospitalization expenses that will include both in-patient and out-patient expenses for the treatment of COVID 19. With the rapid spread of this disease, the world has been witnessing events that it has not seen before. It has also restricted people from moving out of their houses, which has affected the business operations as well. In times like this, there will be financial problems, and having to deal with medical emergencies can be challenging. Therefore, staying prepared is a wise idea so that you do not have to worry about the treatment. So, to secure yourself and your families at the time of such pandemic, you need to subscribe to the Best Insurance Policy In India . Most of the people have a question if the Coronavirus health insurance is already covered in their existing health insurance policy. However, if a person opts for a policy after contracting the disease, they will not be entitled to get coverage of the treatment.

Useful information about Coronavirus Health Insurance

• Since COVID 19 is a highly infectious disease, people with weak immune systems and older people are at higher risk of contracting the disease. So, having a family health cover with a high sum insured is highly recommended, especially at times when the healthcare facilities have become expensive.
• The next thing to know is the waiting period as medical insurance policies come with an initial period of 30 days. This means that for getting the treatment, except for emergencies, the policyholder will have to wait for 30 days.
• Also, the Coronavirus health insurance plans provide you with a range of medical costs from 60 days before getting hospitalized, usually for a period of 30 days, which also covers ambulance, OPD and ICU charges, etc.

How to claim the Coronavirus health insurance?

The first way to claim this insurance is through cashless claims. Most of the health insurance policies offer cashless treatment, which means that you do not have to make the payment, and the insurance company will settle the treatment bills directly.

Another way is through the reimbursement claims, which are meant for policyholders who receive treatment at a non-network hospital of the insurance provider. In this process, you will have to pay hospital bills in full at the time of your discharge.

The benefits of having the best health insurance in India is evident from the above analysis. So, make sure that you continue to pay your premiums on time to continue enjoying the protection cover.

Does your company rely on some huge equipment to generate revenue? Even one failure or breakdown will lead to costly repairs to the extent that a company can even be forced to shut down indefinitely. So, how would you possibly have operated, without these key pieces of machinery like heavy machinery or specialized manufacturing equipment?

Usually, considering other things, companies overlook the importance of manufacturing power. The machinery is the backbone that keeps the force running. They're also a major investment and if not insured, any damage can cause not only hindrance but could also stop workflow altogether and huge loss. Therefore, it's important to opt for a machinery breakdown insurance policy. It is a form of property insurance designed to transfer unexpected breakdown risks associated with a company's mechanical and electrical equipment.

This insurance will cover physical damage from the unanticipated breakdown of machinery. By repairing or replacing the additional costs, this insurance will keep your work going and ensure it doesn't halt in the light of such unforeseen events.

Unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances caused due to carelessness, short circuit, electric overpressure, failure of safety device operation, defects in assembly, structural or mechanical, loosening of parts or excessive speed, falling, impact, collision and entry of foreign goods in the machinery are covered. Under this policy, the sum insured includes the following:

• Replacement value of the equipment
• Erection costs
• Freight charges
• Duties paid
• Value of brickwork

These policies are usually flexible and help organizations recoup financial losses related to property damage, interruption and spoilage. The premium, however, is calculated once the type of equipment and factors like their capacity and price are taken into consideration. There is a different premium for different machinery used. The machines that can be insured are-

• All stationery machinery equipment
• Electrical equipment
• Mechanical plant equipment
• Process machinery in industries

The eligibility criteria are that the owner or lessor of the machinery can get the insurance.

Mechanical loss of engineering insurance policy includes compensation for the cost of repair and replacement arising from unforeseeable circumstances. The cover is effective even if the equipment is not in use. The machinery is also covered if the equipment has been dismissed for maintenance and overhauling or is moved to a different location.

Usually, with an additional premium, the machinery breakdown insurance policy also covers third party liability, additional customs duty, air freight, escalation, property surrounding machinery, overtime, holiday wages etc. This makes it an essential complete package.

Since machinery breakdown insurance policy is for electrical and mechanical equipment, electronic material such as computers are not protected or covered. Specific risks that are not included in this policy are wear and tear, war, fire, gross negligence, damage due to overload and known pre-existing defects.

Machinery breakdown insurance is now crucial for businesses of all kinds and provides protection. However, secure the right policy to ensure your business is covered before, during and after an equipment breakdown.

Every hospitalization insurance policy comes with a stipulated waiting period which signifies the number of days that must lapse before the policy coverage begins for specific health conditions. The exact duration of the waiting period varies according to insurance companies. Before you opt for any Health Insurance Policy For Family , the concept of this waiting period must be understood adequately as different coverage have different waiting periods and different rules. There are several cases where customers subscribe to insurance policies offering wrong details. To avoid losses caused by wrongful claims or misrepresented medical history, the concept of the waiting period was introduced by the insurance companies.

Types of waiting periods

• The first is the Initial waiting period, which means that if a person gets hospitalized in the first 30 days from the start of the policy, they won't receive any claim benefit from the insurance. Only after the said waiting period has lapsed would the policy cover the specified health conditions; otherwise, no claim will be entertained by the company. Also, note that this 30 days waiting period is for illnesses but not applicable for injuries.
• Second type of waiting period is the pre-existing waiting period. This waiting period id relevant only for specific health conditions that have been disclosed by the policyholder while subscribing to the policy. This waiting period is the type of waiting period that involves a condition within four years before signing up for health insurance. The length of this waiting period can, however, vary from 12-48 months. Thus, the pre-existing waiting period will be covered under the plan after the passing of the timeframe mentioned in the insurance policy.
• Please check the specific disease waiting period, while taking a policy which applies to specified illnesses as listed in your health policy. In critical illness policy, there is a lump sum amount paid if the ailment is covered under the critical illness section in your policy. However, COVID-19 is not covered under critical illness, except for specifically designed products that were introduced in the market recently.

There are various questions raised as to illnesses like H1N1, Ebola, and the latest one being the Coronavirus are included in the health insurance and whether or not they have a waiting period associated with it. However, many of the policy providers mentioned that COVID 19 could be covered in the health insurance policy, which will ensure that there is no dent on your savings. It is advisable to check with your insurer about the terms, conditions and exclusions.

Health crisis can occur to anyone at any point in time, so it is wise if you take up health insurance plans to keep yourself and your family financially secure. Several companies offer different critical illness plan with different hospitalization, and so before you choose the health insurance plans health insurance for family, you need to research thoroughly to make an informed decision.

So much deliberation goes into buying a car, but car insurances? Not so much. This is one of the most concerning problems as these trivial mistakes are overlooked and more importantly can even be done away with if one is cautious enough.

Car insurance is almost mandatory in times like now but keeping relevant information from your insurance provides is often misleading than not. Here are mistakes to avoid when you're buying a car insurance policy -

• Not comparing prices- Many people who instantly go for insurances provided by someone they know or the insurances their acquaintances have applied for. Although the reliability factor is higher here, you can't be sure that they'd have made the right decision or looked up the new car insurance rates and updated offers in the market. For this one reason at least, compare the prices of different insurance policies till you're totally convinced about a single policy over the other. This will also give you the additional satisfaction of having researched well enough and made a wise choice.
• Cheap insurance policies- Cheaper insurances come with the obvious hazard that there's something flawed or even shady the company is trying to keep from you. Sometimes, companies manage to go about selling these without some key features which you may happen to overlook. Most people usually opt for the cheapest or the insurance policy with the lowest premium, and that doesn't assure the same type of safety as good reliable insurance will offer. Do not make hasty and flippant choices, as it's obvious that a lower premium also means a lower cover is provided when necessary.
• Buying it offline- Even if you know someone who may provide insurance services from a reliable company, there are a lot of unnecessary hidden costs that you'd not know. Rather than going for a cheaper unreliable premium, you can just opt for a good and reliable premium from a reputable company that also gives cheaper options. This is usually overlooked because people still choose or prefer the offline modes of application and payment. However, it is always more beneficial to find the online versions as not only does it come with a greater variety of options and plans, but it will also remove all the hidden costs for the job.
• Low deductibles- This is like choosing for cheap premium except here, deductibles are the charges paid by a customer before receiving the claim. If you're going to focus on this factor, then you'd be missing out on a balanced plan with a good premium as well. Usually, lower deductible plans come with higher premiums. Either way, you'd have to pay that said amount so why not choose a more profitable variation. If you opt for a policy that requires a higher deductible, then you can also attain the no claims bonus. This 'No Claim Bonus' or NCB is when an insurance company pays you if you do not file a claim for a stipulated amount of time. This could be an additional profit you will not be able to enjoy if you pay a lower deductible and a higher insurance premium.
• Driver details and history- Usually, the factors considered for the insurance premium include the details of the driver, including the age and other details like safety equipment installed, driving style. These may increase or decrease your premium accordingly. But because of that, if you choose to hide certain details for a lower premium thinking you've made a smart choice, it's misleading and doesn't assure you the certainty of your insurance. If an insurance provider finds out about the hidden details, they hold the authority to dissolve your policy as an invalid one. So, don't make a mistake like this just to save a few hundred rupees.

Acquainting yourself with the new car insurance rates, terms and conditions, and other essential aspects of the insurance policy is essential to help you maximize the benefits on offer.

Health is a critical aspect of life. Hence the famous phrase health is wealth. With today’s pollution, changing and often unhealthy lifestyles, changing weather, an increase in diseases and mutation in the illnesses that already exist, etc. are extremely hazardous to health and, in turn, life. Not to mention the unknown health hazards that could come out of nowhere; for example, an accident is not something you expect or know off. Also, the medical costs of all these health hazards can be huge and can make a massive hole in your pocket. Some of these diseases could be a long term meaning your investment in the treatment will also be long term. The bills of these treatments go very high and can end up making huge holes in your pocket. To avoid that, you can choose any of the available, AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS in the market. Following are five benefits of a health insurance policy that make it an absolute necessity: -

• The main reason why most people or families choose to go for health insurance is to have medical coverage. As mentioned above, health insurance plans offer coverage for high medical bills and can be extremely helpful. A health insurance plan covers hospitalization expenses, in-home hospitalization expenses, and many other such expenses too.
• Nowadays, insurance providers also offer critical illness cover. This cover can be stand-alone or can be a part of your health insurance plan. A critical illness cover assists in medical costs of critical illnesses related to kidney, bone marrow transplant, a stroke, loss of limbs, etc. and many other such illnesses. If you are diagnosed with any critical disease, you receive a lump-sum amount as part of the cover.
• Cashless claim benefit is also quite a popular part of affordable health insurance plans. In this plan, you don’t have to make any out of your pocket payments. If and when assistance is required, you can settle the hospital bill with consideration from your insurance provider, the hospital, and you. Keep in mind if any such situation arises, you must get admitted into a hospital that is included in the list provided by your insurance company.
• Many companies or organizations cover health insurance for their employees. You must remember that this type of insurance, however, is not custom made for every individual but is instead the same. Also, you could lose insurance if you are not working at the company. Apart from the above specifications, the health insurance provided by your company is also q good. Make sure to go over the terms.
• Almost all health insurance policies have tax benefits. Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act 1961, part of the premium that you pay towards your health insurance plan is eligible for tax deductions. Of course, there are a few terms and conditions that apply to this based on age, insurance plan, etc.

These are five benefits of a health insurance plan that show how beneficial it can be for you. Keep in mind all your needs and requirements and choose the best health care plan. You will find different types of affordable health insurance plans from which you can choose as per your convenience.

Today, the number of cases with construction workers being a victim of such accidental risks is increasing. There isn't much awareness around it to make every person understand its importance. Physical loss of engineering insurance includes protection from machinery breakdown, machinery loss, contractor's risk, etc. The major focus is on covering losses that are unforeseen and unexpected. This is also called machinery breakdown insurance.

In the workplace, regardless of the precautions taken, it's always possible that there are unexpected and unfortunate accidents that might put you at risk. This is why you need the physical loss of engineering insurance.

Types of engineering risks include -

• Stock deterioration - Stock deterioration includes the depletion of goods kept in cold storage. This is covered if there's a breakdown of refrigerating machinery. It's similar to machinery breakdown insurance and can be seen as a subset of the same.

This type of insurance may benefit you if you're owners or users of cold storage houses, food preservation industry, and meat and fish processing industries, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

• Movement of Machinery - This insurance covers the damage of machinery during specified operations. This type is important as a lot of machinery is heavy and not always easy to move accordingly. There can be damage during such movement even after the said precaution is taken. This type also often includes incidental storage in transit and moving and unloading to the work position.
• Computer equipment - Computer equipment insurance covers loss of or damage to all computer equipment. Additionally, provides cost required to reinstate lost records. These apply to almost every firm today that can make use of this insurance. Especially with data at threat, companies must safeguard themselves and have an insurance plan to turn to in such a situation.
• Unexpected damage - This policy covers damage that is unexpected and could be due to internal defects or external unfortunate situations. This insurance covers accidental damage most of the time, but it's advisable to check the documents and peculiarities before you go ahead.
• All Risk Cover - The all-risk cover, usually known as the Contractor's all risk, covers all of the above insurances. Usually, the threat of a single kind seems more than the rest, and hence particular insurance opts-in isolation. To easily define it, it covers all risks related to construction.

Here are the reasons why engineering insurance is important

• Machinery breakdown - This is one of the overlooked factors. Be it machines on the ground or even computers; your insurance must cover not only the cost of damage done to the computer installation but also for all the data that was lost. You can opt for machinery breakdown insurance as well.
• Risks of explosions - Such an unsafe work environment comes with its risks and troubles. Insurance will make it one step closer to safety, and you know you're covered in times of crisis.
• If you're in a risky job like that and have the uncertainty of consequences if something unfortunate happens, engineering insurance is your go-to remedy. Insurance covers can be generally applied to, but every insurance does not cover it all in detail. You can always choose multiple insurances, and that's completely alright. But you may need to understand something very important, at a workplace like a construction site; you ought to know that engineering insurance cannot be compromised.