Merc A-Class windshield cracked by rocks from lawnmower, car owner claims damages from PLUS – here’s how
Accidents happen all the time, but sometimes your car can be damaged by reasons beyond your control, such as hitting debris left on the road. You might imagine that in situations like this, the only thing you can do is make an insurance claim, but did you know that if such an incident occurs on the motorway, you are really Is it possible to claim damages from the franchisee itself?
That’s exactly what X user Nur Iylia Malek (@nurilyamalek) was made possible through PLUS Malaysia. In January, while driving on the North-South Expressway, a rock kicked up by a roadside lawnmower cracked her car’s windshield. Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan. She immediately pulled over, took a lawn mower, wrote down the contractor’s name and phone number, and took photos of the incident scene (including the kilometer column) before reporting to the police.
Shortly after, Iylia submitted a PLUS claim form (you will need to submit this within 24 hours of the incident), which you can get through the official website. The said form allows you to enter details about you and your vehicle, along with a description of the incident. A scanned copy of the ID card/passport cover, driver’s license and the above police report are required, as well as a photo of the damaged vehicle. This form can then be attached to the invoice or repair bill when you receive it, which Iylia did a few days later.
UPDATE: Dah dapat requested. https://t.co/zzqCPnwupi pic.twitter.com/rVnrSzJipi
— Nuriyliamalek 🇲🇾 (@nuriyliamalek) May 21, 2024
There are a few things you will need to know. Firstly, you won’t receive compensation immediately – it took five months before the money was transferred to Iylia’s account at the end of May – so you’ll likely have to pay for the repairs yourself or request insurance in advance. In some cases, it may be quicker to contact the contractor directly to make a claim as they will usually be insured against such incidents.
You also may not get a full refund for the repair, as PLUS herself told Iylia when she called. However, she eventually received the exact amount of the windshield replacement cost, which came to over RM6,000.
Buat yang tanya, “Kalau kena barang jatuh dari lori atau kereta depan dapat tak request?”
Tidak.
April highway baru ni sekali lagi kena dekat. I can do that by making it worse. pic.twitter.com/axrMcoV5fO
— Nuriyliamalek 🇲🇾 (@nuriyliamalek) May 21, 2024
It’s also worth noting that while you can claim for damage from road debris, you won’t be reimbursed if it came from the car directly in front of you, as Iylia herself discovered when her car was hit by a steel bar in April. PLUS denied her claim a second time, telling her it would only honor the claim if the company found it had not properly inspected the highway before the incident.
Finally, the instructions listed above only apply to highways operated by PLUS. For other highways, you will have to contact their respective concessionaires for claim information.
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