Why the Third-Party Insurance Enforcement Is for Your Own Good – Agba Jalingo

Two years ago, one of my followers who drives a danfo bus someone bought for him ran into a range rover and was arrested by the owner of the range rover and taken to a police station. His bus, which was giving him his daily bread was also seized and was asked to provide N1.2 million for the repairs of the range rover before the bus will be released.

For over two weeks, he was borrowing from everywhere he knew and also ran to me to lend him money and intervene. I asked him for the vehicle documents and he said they were with the bus owner. I asked him to go get them. When he brought them, I checked through and noticed he had a valid third party insurance policy.

We reached out to the insurance company’s telephone number on the paper. Someone picked the phone and requested that he should copy a certain number from the certificate and send it to one whatsapp number which he provided and the holder’s details, the complaint he has and his NIN. He did.

After confirming his policy as still valid, a WhatsApp message was sent to him to produce photographs of the accident scene and the damage caused to the third party’s vehicle. He was also requested to get a quotation from a credible panel beating company to cover the cost of repairs of the damage.

The owner of the range rover already had the videos and pictures of the damage. They were obtained. He also got a quotation for the repairs from the man’s own preferred panel beater and sent to that same WhatsApp number. It took two weeks, and the money was sent to the panel beater for the work. N1.2 million.

But before then, I had accompanied him to the Police station to ensure his bus was released. The Police had no reason to keep his bus since he had a valid third-party insurance policy. He wished he had known the value of that paper. He thought the paper was just to beat police harassment on the road. I told him he still had a balance of N1.8 million with the insurance company in case any such incident happens again.

Your Third-Party motor insurance, which now costs N15,000 annually, covers accidental damage caused by your vehicle to another person’s vehicle or property. It also covers the third party’s medical expenses, if any bodily injury is sustained or compensation for any death resulting from the accident. Refund of legal fees, if you are prosecuted in court over an accident with the insured vehicle, all to the tune of not more than N3,000,000.

If you hold an active third-party insurance policy, when next you jam someone’s car by accident, you will not run or beg. Just take pictures and videos of the scene and simply agree with the person where to take the vehicle to, and the insurance company will pay the cost and keep your balance. So go and do it now. It’s not for the benefit of the Police. It’s for your own benefit.

Remember the insurance companies don’t want you to know these benefits I just told you, so that you make no claims throughout the year, while they eat your money. The Police also don’t want you to know so they can extort you on the road when accidents happen.