First Steps To Take After Realising the Theft of Your Two-Wheeler

There are numerous benefits to having a bike. They make travel easy and affordable for a large portion of the Indian population. However, there is one potential drawback of owning a bike. That is that it can be stolen due to its smaller size. Unlike a car, it does not necessarily need to be unlocked for it to be stolen. Hence, it is important that you ensure that your bike is not at risk of theft. There are some tips you should follow to prevent your bike from being stolen. But you have to be prepared for all possibilities. This means that if your bike does get stolen, it helps immensely if you have bought protection for it in the form of comprehensive bike insurance with theft cover. Once, you have this coverage, all you need to do is make a claim if your bike is ever stolen. Here are the steps you need to follow to make an insurance claim for bike theft: 

• File an FIR

When anything gets stolen, it is the police’s job to recover it. Hence, the first step for you is to file an FIR or First Information Report at your nearest police station. The police will ask you for various details about your bike. These include make, model, color, registration number, etc. It is important to complete this step, without which the theft claim on your bike insurance will not be processed.

• Inform your insurance provider

The next step is to notify your insurance provider about the theft and the fact that you will be filing a claim. Do this immediately after registering the FIR. This will may prevent any delay in the process. At this point, the insurance company has to complete certain formalities. Hence, letting them know as soon as possible may reduce the overall time it takes to process the claim. 

• Inform the local RTO

Any vehicle theft must be reported to the local regional transportation office. It is your responsibility as the owner of the vehicle to notify the local RTO about the theft of your bike. The legal formalities for the insurance claim on your end will not be complete until you complete this step. 

• Present the required documents

Different types of documents are required for the claim process. You will need to present these along with the form provided to you by your insurance company. Generally, the following documents are required:

1. Properly filled bike insurance theft claim form
2. Insurance policy document
3. The original bike keys
4. Self-attested photocopy of driving license 
5. Self-attested photocopy of RC Book 
6. FIR (original)
7. Forms 28, 29, 30 and 35 from the RTO

• File a No-Trace Report Application

This is also known as the Untraced Vehicle Report. The report states that the incident was reported to the police and after they conducted an investigation, they were unable to locate the vehicle. It is usually done after one month from the date of filing the FIR. If your bike is recovered, you will not receive compensation from the insurance company. If your bike is not recovered, this report confirms with the insurance provider that the vehicle is stolen beyond recovery. 

Please note that you will not receive any of the policy benefits if your plan is not valid. Hence, you have to ensure you are on time with two wheeler insurance renewal. Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.