They confirmed that the replacement car is worth from the first day of delivery of the vehicle to the «garage»

Experts: Insurance approval for car repair must not exceed 72 hours from the date of the accident

The replacement car is an inherent right of the insured within the terms of the unified policy. Archival

Two insurance experts said that the issuance of approvals of insurance companies for car repair should not exceed 72 hours from the date of the accident, stressing the right to give the insured a replacement car from the first day of his delivery of his car to the repair shop (garage), in accordance with the terms of the unified document and the instructions of the Central Bank.

They confirmed to «Emirates Today» that the companies' violation of these clauses and their repeated delay in repairing the cars of the insured or compensating them with a replacement car, exposes them to fines and inspections by the «Central», as the supervising authority of the insurance sector in the country.

This came in response to the complaints received by "Emirates Today" about the delay in repairing their cars for more than two weeks, in addition to not giving them a replacement car under the pretext of not issuing approvals, as well as informing companies that approval usually takes 14 working days.

In detail, the head of the car accidents department at the Lake Insurance Company, Suleiman Zahir, said that insurance companies, in accordance with the terms of the unified document and the instructions of the Central Bank, must issue car repair approvals within a maximum of 72 hours of the accident, and that the entitlement to the replacement car must be from the first day the insured handed over his car to the «garage» repair, as long as the necessary documents are available, namely: Police accident report, Emirates ID, driving license, and vehicle ownership, regardless of whether the accident was caused or damaged, and even if no approval for repair has been issued.

Zahir stressed that the completion of procedures and repairs should not exceed a period of two weeks at the latest, pointing out that in the event of delay, the Central Bank can be resorted to, as the body responsible for the insurance sector in the country. He added that if complaints are repeated against a company, it is usually inspected and fines are imposed if necessary, pointing out that the majority of insurance companies are committed to the instructions of the Central Bank, but in the event of an unjustified delay, there is no doubt that it affects the company's reputation in the market and exposes it to accountability.

For his part, insurance expert Fouad Salem said that the alternative car is an inherent right of the insured, within the terms of the unified policy, and the insured should never overlook his right or not claim it.

He pointed out that the insured must be aware and aware of the terms of the unified policy, so that they can respond to employees of companies that delay repairs.

He pointed out that this period of 14 working days or two weeks means that companies repair the car as long as its spare parts are available within the country, according to the normal conditions in which the repair is carried out in most cases.

He explained that the insured's access to a replacement car should not depend on the issuance of approval from the insurance company for the repair shop concerned, if the company must provide an alternative or rental allowance from the first day of delivery of the car immediately after the accident.

• Insurance companies violating the terms of the unified policy and the instructions of the Central Bank expose them to fines.