CASCO Insurance: What to Do After an Incident

If your vehicle is damaged or lost, act in a clear sequence: make the situation safe, contact the necessary services, notify your insurer and preserve evidence. CASCO can cover various incidents, but reporting procedures and document requirements depend on the individual contract. This guide explains the main situations in Kazakhstan.

The incident may have the characteristics of an insured event. A final coverage decision follows a review of the circumstances and policy terms. Do not wait for an investigation to end or for a repair estimate before first notifying the insurer.

What to do after any incident

1. Assess the danger. Call 112 if life is at risk, there is a fire or collapse, or rescue is needed. For emergency medical assistance, call 103. Do not put yourself at risk to photograph the vehicle.
2. Contact the competent authorities. For a road accident, vehicle theft, robbery or damage showing signs of an offence, contact the police on 102, subject to the legally applicable reporting procedure.
3. Contact your insurer immediately. Use the number in your policy. Ask whether an accident commissioner, an on-site inspection or written notification is required, and what to do next.
4. Keep a record of your report. Note the reference number, call time and instructions. If reporting through an app or website, save the confirmation.
5. Agree on moving and repairing the vehicle. Preserve its condition for inspection as far as this is safe and does not increase the loss. Do not start restoration before agreement, except for necessary safety measures and steps to limit further damage.

1. Road accident: collision, hitting an obstacle or damage while driving

1. Stop and warn other road users. Switch on the hazard lights, place the warning triangle and follow the applicable accident procedures.
2. Check for injuries. If needed, call 103 or 112 and follow the emergency services' instructions.
3. Record the scene when safe. Capture an overall view, vehicle positions, registration plates, damage, road markings, signs and traces of the incident. Save dashcam footage.
4. Notify the police when their involvement is required. Call 102 if anyone is injured, there is a disagreement, a participant has left the scene or lawful simplified reporting is unavailable.
5. Notify your CASCO insurer. Ask whether a commissioner is needed, how to present the vehicle and which documents to obtain.
6. Provide details of other participants. Keep their contact details and information needed for reporting. Do not sign documents you do not understand; record any disagreement with the stated circumstances through the prescribed procedure.

Can you use the Europrotocol? This is a simplified procedure under compulsory motor insurance, available when the established conditions are met. It does not automatically satisfy all CASCO requirements. Before choosing a reporting method, ask the insurer what documents and actions your voluntary policy requires. Do not leave the accident scene until the applicable procedure allows it.

Being at fault in a collision does not in itself rule out CASCO coverage: the relevant risk may be included. Contractual exclusions and duties still apply.

2. Vehicle theft or unlawful taking: the car is missing

1. Quickly check the obvious possibilities. Ask anyone authorised to use the car and check whether it was lawfully towed. Do not delay reporting if there are grounds to suspect theft.
2. Call 102. Give the make, model, colour, registration number, where you discovered the loss and when the vehicle was last seen. Provide the VIN and tracking-system details if available.
3. File a police report and obtain registration confirmation. Ask for its reference number and which documents can be provided to the insurer.
4. Notify the insurer straight away. Give the policy number and circumstances. Ask about the specific procedure for theft or unlawful taking.
5. Keep the remaining keys, fobs and documents. Do not replace or hand them over without understanding police and insurer requirements. If any were inside the car, report this truthfully.
6. Report recovery of the vehicle. If the car is found, notify the insurer and agree on inspection, movement and damage assessment.

Do not try to detain suspected thieves yourself. Give tracking information to the police. The review period and documents for a lost vehicle may differ from those for ordinary damage; there is no universal promise of payment immediately after a report.

3. You find the car damaged and the other driver has left

This is a distinct situation: you leave your home, a shop or an office and discover signs of a collision. You may not have witnessed it or know the exact time.

1. Examine the scene from a safe position. Photograph the parked car, damage, nearby vehicles, debris and traces. Do not wipe off paint transfers or discard parts you find.
2. Report the facts to the police. State where and when the damage was discovered, when the vehicle was left undamaged and what traces you noticed. Do not present a suspected cause as an established fact.
3. Notify the insurer. Explain that the presumed other participant is absent and ask about reporting and inspection.
4. Identify possible recordings. Ask the car park, shop or building management to preserve footage for the relevant period. Pass witness contacts and camera information to the police and insurer through the appropriate procedure.
5. Agree on further movement. If the car has already been moved, say so truthfully and preserve available information about its original position.

Not every CASCO policy requires the responsible driver to be present. However, coverage without an identified participant depends on the selected risks and evidence of the event. An unknown driver does not automatically make any damage an insured loss.

4. Vandalism, broken glass and other third-party acts

1. Make sure the danger has passed. Avoid confrontation and do not try to restrain a suspected offender by force.
2. Record the damage and location. Where safe, photograph the bodywork, glass, signs of entry, graffiti, scattered items and surrounding scene.
3. Contact the police. Describe what you observed and list the damage or missing property. The competent authorities determine the legal classification.
4. Register the incident with the insurer. Ask about inspection and permitted temporary measures to protect the car.
5. Do not remove traces before they are recorded. Do not wash off paint, replace glass or repair damage before agreement, except for necessary measures to prevent further harm.

If a window is broken and a laptop is stolen from the cabin, vehicle damage and loss of a personal item are assessed separately. Do not assume ordinary CASCO automatically covers everything inside the car. Check equipment, accessories and personal belongings cover separately.

5. Robbery or an attack to take the vehicle

If threatened or assaulted, prioritise life and health. Do not resist to protect insured property or pursue the attackers. Contact the police as soon as it is safe, and seek medical help for injuries.

1. Tell the police the time, place, direction of travel and any known identifying details of the vehicle and attackers.
2. Obtain confirmation of your report and follow the competent authorities' instructions.
3. Notify the insurer and ask how to describe the incident and which documents to submit.
4. Preserve available recordings and witness information; report which keys and documents were lost.

Policies may define unlawful taking, theft, robbery and other unlawful acts differently. Do not adjust your account to fit a convenient risk: provide the facts, and their match with the contract will be assessed during the review.

6. Hail, storms, flooding, falling trees or other objects

1. Stay away from continuing danger. Falling branches, damaged structures, wires and flowing water are dangerous. Call 112 if rescue or action to remove danger is needed.
2. Record how the damage relates to the scene. When safe, photograph the overall scene, car, fallen object, water or hail traces and exact location.
3. Notify the insurer immediately. Ask about an on-site inspection, a commissioner and which competent services should record the incident.
4. Agree on safeguarding and towing the vehicle. Do not try to remove heavy objects or perform restoration yourself. If vehicle systems may be damaged, agree on safe movement and a specialist inspection.
5. Obtain the evidence required by the programme. This may include documents from rescue, emergency, law-enforcement or other competent services and, where necessary, official weather information.

Rain or strong wind alone does not establish an insured event. The included risk, cause of damage and exclusions matter. For example, a falling object, flooding and damage while driving through water may be assessed under different terms.

7. Fire or explosion

If there is a fire or risk of explosion, move to a safe distance and call the emergency services on 112. Notify the insurer when you can do so without risk. Collect photos and documents after the danger has been removed; do not dismantle the car before the agreed inspection.

Ask which documents are needed to establish the cause and circumstances of the fire. Keep towing and storage records separately if those costs were agreed or are being claimed.

Which documents to collect

This is an indicative structure, not an exhaustive mandatory list for every insurer. Request a list for your incident and keep proof of document submission. Do not wait until every document is ready before first reporting the incident.

Inspection, repairs and payment: what happens next

The insurer checks coverage and circumstances, arranges the required inspection and assesses the damage. Clarify the vehicle's location, when inspection is possible and who approves hidden damage discovered during dismantling.

Before repairs start, establish the settlement method: referral to an agreed workshop or a cash payment. Check the deductible, depreciation, limits and total-loss terms. The agreed repair cost and the amount transferred to the owner can differ under the contract.

If the responsible party or someone else has reimbursed costs, tell the insurer. Do not waive claims against the responsible person or enter a compensation agreement without understanding the consequences for CASCO and obtaining the insurer's agreement. Double recovery for the same loss should not be treated as the purpose of insurance.

Mistakes that complicate settlement

• Delaying notification until repairs are made or all certificates are obtained.
• Confusing a police call with registering a claim with the insurer.
• Presenting a suspected cause as a proven fact.
• Repairing, washing away traces or discarding parts before the necessary evidence is recorded.
• Assuming every programme allows procedures without official documents.
• Concealing vehicle movement, lost keys or compensation received.

A procedural breach can complicate verification and affect settlement. However, payment and grounds for refusal are assessed against the specific circumstances, contract and applicable rules; a general statement alone does not justify an automatic conclusion.

For an explanation of coverage, choosing risks and deductibles, read “CASCO Insurance: What the Policy Covers and How to Choose Its Terms”. This guide concerns incidents in Kazakhstan; before travelling abroad, check your policy territory and local procedures.