Inability to settle claim for damaged phone costs insurance firm ₹10,000

The district consumer redressal forum has directed an insurance company to pay a sum of ₹4,000 towards the claim filed by a city-based man for a damaged phone.

In addition to ₹4,000, the insurance firm has also been ordered to pay ₹3,000 as the compensation for mental agony, along with litigation expense of ₹3,000.

Subhjeet Singh, 22, had filed a complaint against National Insurance Company Limited and Xcellins Technologies Private Limited from whom he had purchased the insurance for his Redmi Note 4 (4GB-64 GB) phone worth ₹9,899 on September 24, 2017.

The purchase was made under a scheme being offered by e-commerce company Amazon on getting a gadget insured through them.

The online insurance of the gadget was valid from September 25, 2017 to September 24, 2018.

Subhjeet said during the policy period, his mobile got damaged on September 13, 2018, after falling on the road while he was going on a motorcycle.

He informed the court that while riding his bike, a three-wheeler came in front of him, prompting him to apply emergency brakes, due to which his mobile fell out of his shirt’s front pocket.

He further mentioned in his complaint that when he approached the insurance company to claim the insurance for his phone, the latter, through an e-mail, informed him that his claim was rejected on four grounds.

The complainant told the forum that he later had to get the handset repaired at a cost of ₹4,000.

“As on sudden coming of auto-rickshaw in front of the motorcycle of the complainant, the motorcycle of complainant came to halt, due to the sudden application of the brake, and as such complainant was bound to have jerk, which resulted in fall of mobile from the front pocket of the shirt. So, the loss to the mobile took place accidentally and as such, the claim to the complainant is payable (sic),” the district consumer forum ordered.