On the road without cover

Many people would have been crushed and injured at 7pm on Saturday, November 2, 2013, when the brakes of a commercial bus failed by Bolade bus stop, close to Arena market complex, along Oshodi-Agege Motor Road. The driver was Cosmas, a Lagos State Polytechnic National Diploma holder.

While trying to avoid killing the passengers on board the bus and passers-by who were put at risk as a result of the driver’s uncontrolled speed, the driver struggled for safety and ended up ramming into three other vehicles – a Toyota Corolla, a Carina E and an unidentified third vehicle, before eventually making a stop.

Cosmas, who was thankful to God that nobody died following the accident immediately accepted responsibility for the accident when all affected parties including passengers of the vehicles and passers-by alighted to take a look at the level of damage on the affected vehicles.

The owner of the Carina E, one of the damaged vehicles, is a journalist who was very calm because he was convinced that compensations would be made on the two affected cars if the commercial bus driver had a genuine insurance cover and so sought for a peaceful resolution even as the occupants of the Toyota Corolla became restless and quarrelsome.

After some relative calm was brought on the scene, the journalist asked the commercial bus drive, “You have seen the level of damage to these cars; do you have insurance?” Justus responded, “Sir, how much do I have that I will go and buy insurance; please I don’t have.” Pressing for further clarification, the journalist again demanded, “Where are your vehicle papers?” In what may have annoyed the listeners but which may not really be a surprise to them, the driver said, “I am still paying for the vehicle, so I don’t have the vehicle particulars sir.”

The altercation that followed the accident started at about 7pm lingered till 9pm without any resolution, except the arrival of the family members and relatives of the bus driver who travelled from far away Sango, Ogun State, to the scene of the accident to show sympathy and pleaded with the owners of the affected vehicles to agree to an amicable settlement rather than taking reporting to the police station.

At 9.15pm, when the journalist concluded that Cosmas, the bus driver was indeed helpless and that he had no insurance cover for his bus nor the money to pay for damages in the short run, he managed to pull his car (Carina E) carrying members of his family off the scene, only to be told later by one of the affected parties that hoodlums claiming to be soldiers in mufti took over the matter as peacemakers, called their other gang members, held up everyone they found on the scene, beat them up and robbed them of their money and personal belongings, before all scampered for safety.

This continued until the police from Akinpelu police station came on the scene and impounded the commercial bus and the Toyota Corolla, with Comas, and his family members signing an undertaking to repair the Toyota Corolla car which had its two right doors and side glass totally damaged.

This lesson is no longer only for Cosmas, but to every vehicle owner and user, particularly commercial bus drivers, because Comas will definitely spend at least N100,000 or more to fix the Toyota Corolla, apart from the damages on his own bus.

Motor Third Party cover, which is a compulsory insurance for all vehicles plying Nigerian roads is sold for just N5,000 and has a liability cover of up to N1 million for third party damages, and no limit on life in the event of death of a third party.

One point to note is that Cosmas could have saved himself the stress of having to look for money to fix the Toyota Corolla, avoid trouble with the police and the armed robbery attack, if he had simply had a motor insurance cover on his bus.

Where do you buy your motor insurance cover?

Also important is the source from where you buy your insurance. If you do not buy from any of the 42 general business insurance companies registered and licensed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), it is possible that you have bought a fake document in the name of insurance. So, vehicle licensing offices are not insurance company offices and touts are there with fake documents to sell to you and this denies you the right to make claims when there is liability.

Motor Third Party Insurance for private vehicles is N5,000 and so what they have been selling to you at N1,000 or anything less is fake…so, don’t buy.

The benefit of having a third party insurance policy is huge because it protects against third party damage. This means that in the event of an accident occurring, the policy holder has a third party property damage limit up to N1 million and no limit to life in the case of death or permanent disability.

Another victim, Afolabi, a businessman had gone to an Auto Registration Office in his locality to obtain a third party motor insurance at the cost of N1,000 and each time he gets to police check points; he gets their clearance goes his way.

While he was going to work one morning he mistakenly lost control and unfortunately hit another vehicle, but confident that he had an insurance policy he assured the owner of the damaged vehicle that his insurance company would foot the bill.

Soo minutes later, the police drove in and asked that he gets across to his insurance company and when he called; he discovered that the insurance company whose name is on the document is not aware of the cover. There and then, the police arrested him upfor holding a fake document and the owner of the damaged vehicle also held him until he had to borrow from family and colleagues to pay for the damaged.

This is the experience of most people who have got insurance from licensing offices and motor parks. Why not save yourself the possible trouble later by going to the office of any of the registered Insurance companies to obtain a genuine insurance cover?

Verifying your motor insurance cover

Except you want to be deceived or you want some people to feed fat on your ignorance, you have got no reason to pay for fake documents in the name of motor third party insurance.

So, now if your policy document is not captured in the Nigerian Insurance Industry Data base (NIID), then that policy document you have as motor third party insurance certificate is fake and worth nothing.

You can actually verify it yourself, right from any where you are. This has not only brought a check to fake documents, it has now empowered you to make claims on all third party liabilities.

How do you verify the document? Simply apply this code into your GSM handset, and in seconds the status of your insurance is displayed on your screen. (SMS: policy number*plate number to 33125).This is compliant with all networks.

If the resultant message says, “not available on NIID date base, then know that what you are parading as insurance is fake. But if it’s there, it tells you immediately the name in which your vehicle is registered; the make and model of the vehicle; the colour of the vehicle; name of the insurance company and date of expiration of the policy.

“Verifying the authenticity of your vehicle insurance policy on the NIID gives you peace of mind and assurance that your claim will be paid”, Sunday Thomas, director general, Nigerian Insurers Association stated.

By: Modestus Anaesoronye