How to get a duplicate insurance policy document issued

An insurance policy bond is an important document that needs to be preserved by the insured through the term of the policy. It is a legal document issued by the insurance company and outlines the terms and conditions of the insurance contract.

If it is lost or destroyed, wholly or partially, an application has to be filed for the issuance of a duplicate policy document by following the prescribed procedure, which may vary across insurance companies.

Application

A written application must be submitted to the insurer, intimating the loss of policy. The reason for loss, likely date of loss, policy details, such as policy number, cover, date of issuance, and whether or not the policy was assigned, need to be provided in the application.

Publish an ad

In case of loss, some insurers insist that the policyholder place an advertisement, at his own expense, in an English daily in the state where the loss is reported to have occurred. This must be sent to the insurance company a month after its appearance.

Indemnity bond

Certain insurance companies require the insured to provide an indemnity bond on an appropriate stamp paper.

The document aims at indemnifying the insurance company for any loss that may be caused due to misuse or fraud through the original policy document, and the insured agrees to return it, if found, to the insurance company.

Points to note
1. Insurance firms usually charge a nominal fee for the issuance of a duplicate policy document. This needs to be paid at the time of submitting the application.

2. If the insurance policy is held jointly, the application needs to be made jointly by all the insured persons.
3.If required by the insurance company, a surety may need to be submitted for certain policies by a person of sound financial status.



Content Courtesy: Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Sunita Abraham, Girija Gadre and Arti Bhargava