How To Claim For Vehicle Damage

Claiming for vehicle damage in Malaysia follows a fairly fixed order. This page covers the repair side of the wider road accident claim process, not injuries.

The steps in order

1. Report to the police. Generally required within 24 hours of the accident.^[1]
2. Photograph the damage. Do this before the vehicle is moved or repaired, from several angles.
3. Decide which insurer you are claiming against. Your own, under an own damage claim, or the other driver’s, depending on fault and your policy.
4. Get repair quotes. Two or three quotes from recognised workshops give both you and the insurer a fair comparison.
5. Vehicle inspection, if required. An adjuster or the insurer’s appointed party may inspect the damage before approving repairs.
6. Approval and repair. Once approved, the workshop proceeds, and you collect the vehicle once work is complete.

Choosing the right insurer to claim against

If you were not at fault, you can generally choose between your own policy under a knock for knock arrangement, or pursuing the other driver’s insurer directly. Your no-claim discount and a claim explains why this choice can matter more than it first appears.

What slows this process down most

Missing documents cause more delay than anything else. A police report without the other vehicle’s details, or photographs taken too late to show the original damage, both create extra back-and-forth with the insurer.

A quote from a workshop the insurer does not recognise can add delay. The insurer may ask for a second quote from its own panel workshop. Ask your insurer for its list of recognised workshops before you choose one.

What to keep throughout

Keep the police report reference, every repair quote and all insurer correspondence in one place. You will need them if the claim is disputed or the vehicle is declared a total loss.

A simple folder, physical or digital, dated by each step is enough.

What to do next

Start with the police report and photographs while the damage is fresh. Decide which insurer to approach based on fault, then collect quotes.

If the insurer disputes fault or undervalues the repair, an independent lawyer can act on your vehicle damage claim. Send the accident date, where it happened, any injury status (yes/no) and the police report status.