KASKO is voluntary motor own-damage and theft insurance. What you must do when an insured event occurs is set by the contract and the insurance rules of your particular company, so keep your policy and the insurer's 24/7 hotline number at hand. Below is a general procedure that suits most programmes.

After a road accident

  1. Stop, switch on the hazard lights and put out the warning triangle. If anyone is injured, call 112 for help.
  2. Call the insurance company using the number on the policy. The operator will tell you whether to call the traffic police (GIBDD), whether you can fill in a European accident report (europrotocol) or an insurer's certificate is enough, and will send an accident commissioner if needed.
  3. If the accident has to be registered by the traffic police, do not move the car before the officers arrive, unless the traffic rules require it.
  4. Photograph the scene, the damage, the number plates and the road conditions, and write down witnesses' contact details.
  5. If the other driver has OSAGO (compulsory motor third-party liability insurance), note their policy details: your insurer will need them for subrogation.

Many KASKO programmes allow one or two claims a year — or claims for damage to glass, headlights and mirrors only — without a traffic police certificate. Check the exact terms in your contract.

In case of fire

  1. Switch off the engine, get out of the car and move passengers to a safe distance.
  2. Call the fire service on 101 or 112. Try to put out the fire with what is at hand only if doing so does not endanger life.
  3. Report the event to the insurer.
  4. Obtain a fire report from the Emergencies Ministry (MChS) and, if a case was opened, the decision on its outcome.
  5. Keep the car in the condition it was in after the fire until the insurer's representative inspects it.

In case of theft

  1. Report the theft to the police immediately on 102 or 112 and get a receipt confirming that your report was accepted.
  2. Notify the insurer — insurance rules usually set the shortest notification deadlines for theft.
  3. Prepare all sets of keys, alarm fobs, the vehicle registration certificate and the vehicle passport (PTS) or an extract from the electronic PTS for handover to the insurer. A missing key or document may become grounds for refusal.

Damage in a car park or from natural events

If the car was damaged by unknown persons, a tree fell on it or it was hit by hail, photograph the damage on the spot, notify the insurer and, if the rules require it, contact the police or obtain a certificate of weather conditions. Do not move the car unless necessary until you have consulted the insurer.

Notification deadlines

Insurance rules set a deadline for reporting the event and filing a written claim. Most often it is a few working days, and shorter for theft. Missing the deadline does not always lead to refusal: under Article 961 of the Civil Code, refusal is possible if the insurer's lack of timely information could have affected its obligation to pay. But it is better not to take the risk.

Documents you will need

  • a claim form in the insurer's format;
  • the KASKO policy;
  • the policyholder's passport and the driver's licence;
  • the vehicle registration certificate and vehicle passport;
  • documents from the authorities: traffic police materials (ruling or decision in the case), Emergencies Ministry or police documents — depending on the event;
  • if available, the results of the driver's medical examination;
  • bank details if the payout is made in cash.

The rules of a specific programme may require other documents — check the list with the insurer when you first call.

How the payout is made

The main form of KASKO compensation is repair at a service station on the insurer's referral. A cash payment based on a cost estimate or on invoices from a garage of your choice is also possible if the contract provides for it. In the event of a total loss or theft, the sum insured is paid subject to the contract terms; if the car is pledged to a bank, the bank may be the beneficiary.

If the insurer refuses or underpays

Request a written reasoned refusal and check it against the rules. Send a claim letter to the insurer. If the dispute is not resolved, a consumer can apply to the financial ombudsman — for KASKO the ombudsman considers claims of up to 500,000 rubles — and then go to court. More on disputes in the Insured event section.

The KASKO section and the KASKO calculator will help you choose a programme with clear claims terms; for the compulsory policy, see the OSAGO section.