ENDORSEMENTS IN A CAR INSURANCE POLICY

by Vincent Pagtakhan

May 29, 2024

An insurance firm offers you the vehicle’s insurance policy when you insure it. This policy is unique to you and includes information on the vehicle, how the premium is calculated, and when the insurance expires. These details may not always be accurate.

As a result, it is wise to review the motor car insurance coverage as soon as you get it. And you must settle the matter with the insurance provider if there are any differences. This correction procedure is referred to as an endorsement in a motor insurance policy.

Endorsements in motorcar insurance policies typically cause uncertainty for both prospective and current policyholders. However, what is an endorsement exactly? It is simply any modification to your auto insurance policy that you need or want to make.

For instance, you ought to submit an endorsement request if you notice a typo in your policy document. But this isn’t the only situation in which you might request that your policy be changed. To familiarize yourself with the many aspects of endorsements in auto insurance policies, read on.

What Does Insurance Endorsement Mean?

In the insurance industry, endorsement refers to altering the information stated in the policyholder’s paperwork. In case you’re wondering what endorsement just means, it simply means making minor adjustments to the current policy.

Endorsement of Motor car Insurance Policies:

The policyholder is primarily the one who initiates endorsement in a motor insurance policy. It entails altering the insurance coverage for the vehicle. Depending on the insurance company’s procedure, they may cancel the policy that was previously held, issue a new policy that has been endorsed, and make the appropriate amendments.

Therefore, an endorsement can be understood as a contract between the insurance company and the policyholder that specifies how changes to the policy would be incorporated.

To make things easier to grasp, there are two categories of endorsements: basic and advanced. While advanced alterations are typically associated with additions and amendments to the Comprehensive auto insurance policy that directly affect the policy’s scope, basic endorsements can be changes to the name or address.

Validity of Insurance Endorsement:

Endorsements typically take place shortly after the coverage is bought. These can be completed both before and during the policy’s term. The endorsement’s validity should extend until the policy expires, although specifics may change based on the kind of endorsement and the terms and conditions set forth by the insurance provider.

For instance:

One week after the policy’s issue, you would like to choose a Voluntary Deductible. You submit a request for the same endorsement. The insurance provider sends along an approved policy paper after making the required adjustments. This modification will remain in effect until the policy is renewed, terminated, or otherwise changed.

How Often Can an Endorsement Be Made?

Policyholders think it’s acceptable to add as many endorsements as they want to their policy while it’s still in effect. Nevertheless, that is untrue. Recall that making an endorsement should not exceed once or twice a year. Making frequent modifications to your policy can cause confusion while updating the records, so you should try to avoid doing so.

You may then pay for this when making claims. The type of endorsement, the terms and circumstances of the policy, and the policies and procedures of the insurance company all influence how frequently an endorsement can be made.

It is best to refrain from making frequent modifications to your policy because doing so may cause errors when updating the documentation. You may then pay for this when making claims.

What are the Different Types of Endorsements That You Can Make?

A motor car insurance policy’s endorsements can range in complexity from the most straightforward to the most complicated.

These are a few different kinds of motor car insurance endorsements:

Alterations done in the name of the insurance owner.
Changes made to the address of the insurance owner.
Changes made to the insurance owner’s phone number.
Modifications made to the engine number of the insured car.
Modifications made to the chassis number of the insured vehicle.
Alterations made to the registration number of the covered car.
Modifications made to the fuel mode of the insured vehicle. Petrol to CNG, for instance.
Considerable alterations made to the outside or inside of the insured car.
Add-ons are modifications to the policy coverage for the insured vehicle.
Modifications done to the anti-theft devices on the insured vehicle.
Changes made to the Voluntary Deductible portion of the policy coverage for the insured vehicle.
Mistakes in the premium computation.
Mistakes in the No Claim Bonus computation.

Notifying the Insurance Company

There may be times when you’ve made modifications to your car but don’t think you need to request an endorsement. Any modifications made to the insured vehicle should, nevertheless, be reported to the insurer. In this manner, the insurer can make the decision if you are unsure if the alteration calls for an endorsement or not.

Impact of Endorsements on Premium:

Improving your car’s appearance might raise the insured declared value and, thus, the premium. Installing anti-theft devices, on the other hand, can lower the premium. Should these modifications occur in the middle of the policy term, you will have to provide endorsements.

As a result, depending on their nature, endorsements may raise or lower the insurance premium. The company may decline to settle the insurance claim on the grounds of lack of transparency if the insurer is not made aware of the modifications made to the insured vehicle.

Please read: WHY GET MOTOR CAR INSURANCE?

Conclusion

Go to the insurer’s website or visit the main office and choose a plan that you believe is most appropriate for you. Enter the necessary information about you and your vehicle, and before completing the payment, carefully review the terms and conditions, inclusions, and exclusions, among other things.