Ghaziabad woman wins decade-long legal battle over rejected car theft claim.
National Insurance ordered to pay Rs 2 lakh plus Rs 5,000 for mental distress.
Insurer cited lapsed policy; consumer commission ruled in favour of policyholder.
Payment due in 45 days, else six per cent annual interest applies.
10-Year Wait Ends: Ghaziabad Woman Wins Case Against Insurer Over Stolen Car
Many policyholders face rejections they believe are unfair, but few pursue the matter for as long as this complainant did. Rather than dropping the matter, she decided to fight it
Summary
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Summary
A Ghaziabad woman has finally won a legal battle, which she began almost ten years ago after her insurer refused to pay for her stolen car. The theft happened in October 2015. The woman, a resident of Indirapuram, had insured her vehicle with the National Insurance Company. Soon after the car was stolen, she filed a claim with the company. However, instead of getting compensation, she was told her policy had already lapsed when the incident took place, according to a report by The Economic Times. The claim was turned down on that basis.
She refused to let the insurer’s refusal be the last word. Within weeks, she had filed a complaint before the Ghaziabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. What followed was a slow, often frustrating journey—multiple dates in court, long gaps between hearings, and a trail of documents that seemed endless. The insurer stuck to its stand that there was no liability because the policy had expired.
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The commission, after reviewing all the material placed before it, did not agree with the company’s position. In its order, it said the woman was entitled to a payout and directed National Insurance to hand over Rs 2 lakh—roughly three-fourths of the vehicle’s insured value.
The order didn’t stop there. It also awarded her Rs 5,000 for the mental distress and inconvenience caused during the drawn-out case, according to a Times of India report. The insurer was given 45 days to make the payment. If it misses that deadline, it will have to pay interest at six per cent a year until the amount is cleared.
For the woman, the judgment is more than a financial win. It closes a chapter that has been hanging over her for nearly a decade. Friends and family say she often spoke about the case, wondering if the system would ever side with her.
Consumer lawyers point out that this is not an isolated story. Many policyholders face rejections they believe are unfair, but few pursue the matter for as long as this complainant did. Rather than dropping the matter, she decided to fight it. The case went to the Ghaziabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, where it moved at a crawl. Months turned into years, as hearing after hearing was scheduled, adjourned, and rescheduled, with piles of paperwork building up along the way.
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