A Police officer examining the insurance sticker of a commercial vehicle
SOME DRIVERS and vehicle owners in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have indicated they have lost trust in insurance companies because they have allegedly been denied their claims.
According to the drivers, they do not believe that they will be compensated by the insurance companies, hence their decision not to insure their vehicles but rather be more careful on the road to avoid accidents.
It is in the quest to address this situation and to make insurance look useful to these drivers and vehicle owners, that the National Insurance Commission (NIC) in the Upper East Region has embarked on a media campaign to sensitise the public on the need for insurance for their vehicles, homes, businesses and lives.
Ernest Osei Adofo, Regional Manager, in one of the media campaigns, urged affected persons and drivers as well as vehicle owners to report unfair treatment from their insurance companies to the NIC for appropriate action to be taken.
According to him, the NIC has introduced claims guidelines to regulate the processes by which insurance companies are to pay claims to their clients on time.
Mr. Adofo called on the public to report insurance companies that refuse to pay valid claims or deliberately delay paying valid claims.
According to Mr. Adofo, insurance cushions drivers and vehicle owners, as well as other property owners in times of accident.
In separate interviews, the drivers said they have been treated unfairly by their insurance companies in their attempts to claim their compensations.
Some said they were even denied their benefits based on claims that were never made clear to them when they were taking the insurance policies.
Surprisingly, tricycle operators in the municipality have also complained about unfair treatment whenever their vehicles are involved in accidents and need to make claims.
A recent exercise undertaken by the National Insurance Commission in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service revealed that many vehicles had expired insurance stickers, while a large number did not have insurance covers.
FROM Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga
