Short answer: under IRDAI’s 2024 policyholder-protection framework, a motor own-damage claim runs on a defined clock. The insurer must appoint a surveyor within 24 hours of you reporting the claim, the surveyor must submit the final report within 15 days of appointment, and the insurer must then approve or reject the claim within 7 days of receiving that report. A survey is mandatory for any motor loss of ₹50,000 or more. If the insurer misses the deadline, it is required to pay interest along with the claim — and you can escalate.
These are the current timelines, and they matter because “the claim is under process” is the most common thing policyholders are told with no clock attached. This guide maps each stage so you know what “on time” actually looks like, where the delays really come from, and what to do when a deadline is missed. If your claim has already crossed these limits, our guide to delayed claims and your right to interest covers the remedy in detail.
The motor claim timeline at a glance
| Stage | IRDAI turnaround time (current) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Surveyor appointed | Within 24 hours of you reporting the claim | Tightened from the earlier 72 hours. Allocation is meant to be quick and system-driven. |
| Survey report submitted | Within 15 days of the surveyor’s appointment | Down from the old 30 days. The surveyor assesses the damage and files the loss report. |
| Claim approved or rejected | Within 7 days of the insurer receiving the report | Down from the old 30 days after the report. A rejection must also come with reasons. |
| Small claims (no surveyor) | Per the insurer’s board-approved policy | For losses below ₹50,000 a survey is not mandatory, so these are usually settled faster on the insurer’s own process. |
| If a deadline is missed | Interest payable with the claim | The insurer must add interest (at the bank rate plus 2%) from the date of intimation to the date of payment, on its own initiative. |
Stage 1 — Intimation and surveyor appointment (24 hours)
The clock starts when you report the claim. Under the current rules the insurer must allocate a surveyor within 24 hours — a sharp cut from the earlier 72-hour window. In practice the surveyor then contacts you to inspect the vehicle, whether it is at a network garage or elsewhere. The faster you intimate and share basic details, the sooner this stage closes; late intimation is one of the most common self-inflicted delays and can also weaken the claim on other grounds.
Stage 2 — Survey and the loss report (15 days)
The surveyor’s job is to assess the damage impartially and submit a final report to the insurer, and the deadline for that report is now 15 days from appointment. A survey is mandatory for any motor loss assessed at ₹50,000 or more; below that, the insurer can settle without a registered surveyor under its own approved process. This is the stage where the settlement figure is effectively shaped, so it is worth understanding how surveyors assess car damage and keeping your own photographs and the garage estimate ready.
Stage 3 — Decision and payment (7 days after the report)
Once the insurer has the survey report, it must approve or reject the claim within 7 days — not the old 30. For a cashless claim the approved amount is paid to the network garage; for a reimbursement claim it is paid to you after you have settled the bill. A rejection at this stage must be accompanied by reasons, which is what gives you something concrete to question or escalate.
These are maximums, not guarantees — what actually causes delay
The timelines above are the outer limits the insurer must meet; a straightforward claim can move faster. When claims stall, it is usually for reasons the clock does not pause for:
- Incomplete documents. A missing FIR, KYC, or the discharge voucher stops the file. Submitting a complete set up front is the single biggest thing you control — our claim-documents checklist lists what each scenario needs.
- Disputed assessment. If you and the surveyor disagree on the amount, the decision stage can drag while it is contested.
- Investigation. Where the insurer flags a claim for investigation (for example, suspected misrepresentation or a large or unusual loss), separate timelines and closer scrutiny apply.
- Supplementary damage. Hidden damage found after dismantling can trigger a supplementary estimate and a re-look, extending the process.
None of these lets an insurer ignore the rules indefinitely — but they explain why a real claim sometimes takes longer than the headline numbers suggest.
What if the insurer misses the deadline?
If a claim is not settled within the stipulated timelines, the insurer is required to pay interest along with the claim amount — at the prevailing bank rate plus 2%, calculated from the date of intimation to the date of payment, and paid on the insurer’s own initiative rather than only on request. If nothing moves, the escalation path is a written grievance to the insurer, then the IRDAI Bima Bharosa complaint portal, and then the Insurance Ombudsman. Our guide to a delayed motor claim and your interest rights walks through exactly how to claim that interest and escalate.
How to keep your own claim on schedule
Much of the timeline is in your hands at the start. Intimate the claim promptly, in writing, with your policy and vehicle details. Make the vehicle available for survey quickly and take your own dated photographs. Submit a complete document set in one go rather than piecemeal. Keep every acknowledgement, reference number and email — a written trail is what turns “it’s still processing” into a dated record you can hold the insurer to, and the basis for any interest or escalation if the deadlines slip.
If your issue is the amount rather than the timeline, see why the surveyor approved less than the garage estimate and how to dispute it.
Frequently Asked Questions — Motor Claim Settlement Timelines
How long does an insurer have to settle a motor claim in India?
Under IRDAI’s current framework, once the survey report is received the insurer must approve or reject the claim within 7 days. Before that, the surveyor must be appointed within 24 hours of the claim being reported and must submit the report within 15 days of appointment. So a surveyed claim is meant to conclude well inside a few weeks if documents are complete.
What is the surveyor’s deadline to submit the report?
The surveyor must submit the final survey report within 15 days of being appointed, reduced from the earlier 30-day limit. The surveyor is expected to assess the loss impartially and accurately in that time.
Is a surveyor compulsory for every motor claim?
No. A survey by a registered surveyor is mandatory for a motor loss assessed at ₹50,000 or more. For smaller losses the insurer can settle without a surveyor under its own board-approved process, which is usually quicker.
Isn’t the settlement limit 30 days?
That was the earlier position. The older regime allowed 30 days after the survey report; IRDAI’s 2024 policyholder-protection rules cut this to 7 days from receipt of the report for general insurance claims, including motor. The 30-day figure you may still see quoted usually reflects the old rules or a policy document that has not been updated.
What happens if the insurer misses these timelines?
The insurer must pay interest on the claim at the bank rate plus 2%, from the date you intimated the claim to the date of payment, on its own initiative. If the claim still does not move, you can escalate through a written grievance, the IRDAI Bima Bharosa portal, and the Insurance Ombudsman.
Do these timelines apply to cashless claims too?
The survey and decision timelines apply to the claim itself. In a cashless claim the approved amount is paid to the network garage rather than to you, but the insurer’s obligation to appoint a surveyor, obtain the report, and decide within the stipulated periods is the same.
When does the clock actually start?
The surveyor-appointment clock starts when you report or intimate the claim. The report clock starts from the surveyor’s appointment, and the settlement clock starts when the insurer receives the completed survey report. This is why prompt intimation and a complete document set matter so much to the overall timeline.
Are these timelines guaranteed?
They are the maximums the insurer must meet, not a promise your specific claim will take exactly that long. Genuine complications — disputed amounts, investigations, missing documents or hidden damage — can extend matters, but they do not let an insurer disregard the rules, and a missed deadline still triggers the interest obligation.
Sources & official references
- IRDAI master circular: the turnaround times (surveyor allocated within 24 hours, survey report within 15 days, decision within 7 days of the report, survey mandatory for a motor loss of ₹50,000 or more) are set by the IRDAI Master Circular on General Insurance Business, dated 11 June 2024.
- IRDAI regulation: IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders’ Interests, Operations and Allied Matters of Insurers) Regulations, 2024 and the accompanying Master Circular on Protection of Policyholders’ Interests, dated 5 September 2024.
- Law: assessment of loss by a licensed surveyor is governed by the Insurance Act, 1938, s.64UM.
