"Mot" flooded, engine attacked by water
The recent storm No. 10 (Bualoi) caused heavy property damage to people, notably cases of cars being attacked and damaged by water - the most costly incidents for vehicles.
According to information from BSH Insurance Corporation, in just two peak days of September 29-30, the enterprise received 407 losses in many different insurance products, with a total estimated value of more than 14 billion VND (384 of which were related to motor vehicle insurance).
The heavy damage to cars after the storm does not stop at immediate losses, but also leads to the risk of chain failure, reducing the life of the vehicle and creating great financial pressure for the vehicle owner in paying for repairs.
In Hanoi and the North Central provinces, heavy rain from storm No. 10 caused flooding on a series of roads, turning waterlogs into a "dream" for drivers. Hydroctor damage is a phenomenon of vehicle engine damage caused by water entering the incinerator of the car's engine in operation, mainly when the vehicle passes through flooded areas. Flooding is also a major cause of damage to car interior and especially the loss of expensive electrical equipment caused by flooding.
How expensive is the cost of repairing flooded vehicles?
According to the insurance company, the cost of repairing flooded and damaged vehicles can range from 80 to 300 million VND, accounting for 30% - 70% of the vehicle's value, depending on the vehicle model and the level of damage.
Mr. Le Nguyen Long - Director of the Northern Motor Vehicle Compensation Appraisal Center of Saigon - Hanoi Insurance Corporation (BSH) said: "Shock was the most serious incident in the engine. The consequences are often long-term and the repair cost is huge. If the owner tries to restart the vehicle, the damage can increase many times compared to the original damage and will take a long time to repair it...".
During the two peak days of storm No. 10 (September 30), BSH received more than 3,000 consecutive calls, most of which were related to flooded vehicles. The number of vehicles reporting great losses is concentrated in low-lying areas such as An Khanh, My Dinh, Hoang Mai (Hanoi), and provinces and cities swept away by storm No. 10.
Urgency is a vital factor, because the delay, the more damage will occur. Mr. Ha Ngoc Nhat, Head of the BSH Motor Vehicle Appraisal Department in Hanoi, shared about the days of rescue during storms: " Appraisers had to stretch themselves to wade through water that was flooded their bellies to reach the vehicles. Waterlogging and flooding are complex forms of damage. We determine that the top priority is not only to preserve the site, but also to instruct customers to absolutely not restart the vehicle or remove the am am thanh deposit of the electrical system. This is an immediate act of minimizing the arising damage".
How to handle to get insurance compensation
To be compensated for this loss, BSH Insurance recommends that vehicle owners note: The insurance benefit for loss of electrical and engine systems when the vehicle is operating in a flooded area is an additional provision, not necessarily included in the Basic Vehicle Subject Insurance.
For cases of severe damage after storm No. 10, the Health Insurance has activated a specialized appraisal - compensation plan, prioritizing handling and payment advances as soon as possible:
1. Receive information: Customers contact the BSH hotline, the hotline staff for instructions and forward information to the examiner immediately after the call ends.
2. Assessment at the scene: Assessors quickly approached, checked the flooding, coordinated to remove the silencing stations, turned off the electrical equipment, took photos and made a record of the scene.
3. Rescue & bring the vehicle to the garage: The vehicle is moved to the joint repair workshop to dismantle, clean the electrical system, and assess the level of damage.
4. Price accuracy & cost guarantee: BSH coordinates with the garage to approve the repair plan, guarantee costs, and shorten repair time.
5. Complete compensation: BSH coordinates with garages and customers to collect necessary documents to complete compensation procedures.
To protect assets during the storm season, insurance companies recommend:
+ Absolutely do not try to re khoi dong when the vehicle stalls in a flooded area, because this is a direct action that causes a waterstroke.
+ Do not stop or park under trees/electric poles/walves and limit going into areas with excess water, even for high-chassis vehicles (SUV/semiconductor).
+ call the insurance hotline immediately for support and instructions on how to pull the vehicle out of the flooded area in time.
