In our country, the owner of the vehicle must have an insurance policy. CASCO car insurance covers all expenses related to car theft, as well as its damage as a result of a traffic accident. One of the most common insurance cases that many motorists face is damage to the windshield as a result of a small accident with minimal damage to the car, as well as if foreign objects get into it while driving. Therefore, many car owners are interested in the question of how to replace the windshield according to CASCO.
Types of damage to the windshield
To date, there are the following types of damage to the windshield of the car, which involve insurance payments:
- a battle is a situation in which the windshield was damaged in a collision with another car or as a result of getting an object in it;
- crack - damage to the glass by a foreign object or as a result of a strong temperature difference. This type of damage is one of the most problematic, since it is rather difficult to replace cracked glass according to the policy;
- cleavage - damage caused by physical exposure. However, it is important to understand that replacing the windshield according to CASCO in Rosgosstrakh is possible only if the diameter of the damage exceeds 3 millimeters;
- scratches relate to insured events, but a technical examination is required to replace the glass. If the scratches on the windshield are located on the passenger side or do not interfere with normal viewing, the policy does not cover the costs of replacing the windshield;
- scuffs refer to damage caused by wear, so replacing the windshield is not covered by the policy.
From the above it follows that when replacing a windshield according to CASCO in RESO, there is always a guarantee, and according to the policy of any other insurer, it is far from provided in all cases, therefore it is recommended that you carefully read its conditions when applying for insurance.
What is written about glass damage in the policy?
All types of car breakdowns and damages that involve payment of monetary compensation to the driver are listed in the contract.
As for glasses, all information about damage to these elements is prescribed in the item “Replacement and repair of glass elements”, which include:
- windshield, back and side windows;
- side view mirrors;
- headlamps;
- parking lights;
- direction indicators;
- elements of additional lighting, if they are included in the factory equipment of the car.
Compensation for the repair or replacement of any of the items listed above can be received only if it is specified in the contract.
Insurance programs
Insured events in which the windshield is replaced according to CASCO, the consent of the insurer depends on the insurance program chosen by the driver.
Today, each driver can insure his vehicle against the following risks:
- hijacking - the driver receives compensation only in the event of a car theft, and if additional services have not been issued, involving payment for car repairs, compensation is not paid by the insurer;
- according to the standard policy, the replacement of the windshield is paid only if it is damaged in the first two cases, and if this limit is exceeded, all repair work falls on the shoulders of the car owner;
- when applying for simplified insurance for receiving monetary compensation, there is no need to attract traffic police officers;
- replacement of a windshield according to CASCO with a franchise is possible only if the amount of damage incurred exceeds the cost of the policy. Otherwise, the costs of the vehicle owner will be significantly higher than the amount of damage incurred.
If the windshield was damaged in the event of a traffic accident or due to any other circumstances, then it is recommended that you carefully read the contract before contacting the insurer, in particular what insurance cases it provides, as well as the procedure and timing for receiving monetary compensation.
How is the windshield replaced by the CASCO policy?
Replacing the windshield according to CASCO in RESO and the policies of other insurers takes place in the following sequence:
- If you get into an accident in which glass elements were damaged, you should call the traffic police representatives at the scene of the accident.
- Notify the insurer of the accident. This must be done within the time period specified in the insurance contract.
- Write a request for a windshield replacement according to CASCO.
- Pass a technical examination to determine the amount of damage.
- Prepare a package of necessary documents.
Only adhering to this sequence, you can count on monetary compensation for all repair work that was carried out as a result of the insured event.
What documents need to be prepared?
To receive compensation when replacing the windshield under the CASCO policy, the following documents must be provided to the insurer:
- Help from the traffic police.
- A copy of the protocol.
- Act on technical expertise, which determines the amount of damage suffered.
- Decision to refuse to institute criminal proceedings if the damage was received from third parties.
- CASCO policy.
- STS.
- Original passport.
- Driver's license.
If you have incomplete insurance, then the documents in the first, second and third paragraph are not needed.
Methods of obtaining cash compensation
After the technical examination is completed and the insurer satisfies the decision on payment of monetary compensation, the driver can receive compensation for the damage suffered in one of the following ways:
- replacement of the windshield according to CASCO at the expense of the insurer at the service station;
- cash in the company office.
These methods have certain advantages and disadvantages, so it is necessary to dwell on each of them in more detail.
Replacement at the expense of the insurance company at the service station
This method is preferable, because in this case the insurer not only pays for the work of the mechanics to dismantle the broken and install a new windshield, but also compensates for the cost of all materials, including the glass itself and the rubber seal. Thus, the work will be performed more efficiently, and the size of their payment will be significantly larger than when paying cash. In addition, the insurer and service station representatives are interested in the replacement of the glass element in the shortest possible time, so the repair time is much shorter than the payment of cash compensation to the client. Do not forget that in VSK the replacement of the windshield according to CASCO is considered completed only when the owner of the vehicle checked the quality of the work done and signed the corresponding document.
If the repair work was carried out poorly, then in Ingosstrakh the replacement of the windshield according to CASCO falls into the category of insured events, so the company must completely eliminate all the shortcomings that will be discovered by the owner of the car.
Cash Compensation
If you have completed the glass replacement yourself and want to receive monetary compensation, it is very important to carry out the repair within the time period stipulated by the contract, after which it will be necessary to show the vehicle to the insurer's technical specialists, who should record the fact of the repair work performed. If these conditions are not met, the Insurance Company may refuse to compensate for the damage suffered by the driver upon repeated occurrence of the insured event.
What to do if the insurer refuses to fulfill its obligations?
If for some reason the insurer refuses to fulfill its obligations upon the occurrence of an insured event, then in order to receive insurance payments it is necessary to do the following:
- pass a technical examination in an independent company, which should document the need to replace the glass element;
- sue the insurer.
If the lawsuit is won by the owner of the vehicle, the insurer will not only compensate the damage incurred by the driver, but also compensate for all associated costs and legal costs.
What glass is installed on the car when it is replaced?
Replacing the windshield according to CASCO involves the installation of such an element that was used by the manufacturer. Installation of an analogue is allowed, however, this should be separately agreed between the UK and the owner of the vehicle. But this agreement does not make much sense to the motorist, since the copy is cheaper and its quality is much worse than the original glass.
In addition, the glass installed by the factory on the car may have the following options, which are deprived of analogues:
- glass heating, preventing its freezing and fogging in winter;
- company tinting;
- protection from light glare, which can blind the driver and impair the quality of his vision;
- protective laminated coating.
In addition to replacing the glass itself, the insurer must pay the cost of all the elements that are provided for by the plant. If they are not replaced, then the repair work performed is considered incomplete. However, the replacement of related items must be specified in the contract, otherwise payment for their replacement is not made.
Conclusion
CASCO windshield replacement must be paid by the insurer only if the insurance covers the risks associated with theft or damage to the car during an accident in which it is no longer possible to restore the car. This also applies to simplified insurance systems, but the number of insurance payments in this case is limited.
In order to avoid various problems and unpleasant situations when an insured event occurs, you must carefully read the contract when applying for a policy. Particular attention should be paid to the list of risks that insurance covers. However, as practice shows, in most cases the insurer fully compensates for the cost of repairing or replacing all glass elements if they have received critical damage and cannot be repaired.