Consumer forum asks insurance company to pay up

The additional Pune district consumer redressal forum has ordered Reliance General Insurance to pay compensation of Rs33,205 to a complainant. The company delivered the policy late and in the wrong name.

The consumer, Mani Kishanchand Chandiramani, is a senior citizen from Pimpri. She had purchased a car from one Kishor Dantale in June 2009. She got the ownership of the car transferred to her name and also an insurance policy for the vehicle. Before the expiry date of that policy, she went in for a new vehicle insurance policy from Reliance General Insurance through Ace Money agency.

For the policy, Chandirmani paid Rs7,063 by cheque and received a receipt dated January 30, 2010. Despite following up the matter and asking for the insurance policy documents, the company did not respond.

The car met with an accident on March 22, 2010 and she spent Rs33,205 on repairs. Since Chandirmani did not have the insurance policy on her at the time when the car was repaired, she had to shell out the money.

Later on, she received the policy documents from the insurance company, but it was in the name of the previous car owner, Dantale.

Mani moved the consumer forum, which held that Reliance General Insurance Ltd did not take proper care while issuing the policy on time and in the right name. The forum ordered that the insurance should pay Rs33,205 along with 12% interest from April 2, 2010 to Chandirmani along with Rs10,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs2,000 as costs of the complaint.