Merc A-Class windscreen cracked by stone from grass cutter, owner claims damages from PLUS – here’s how

Merc A-Class windscreen cracked by stone from grass cutter, owner claims damages from PLUS – here’s how

Accidents happen all the time, but sometimes your car may be damaged by things that are beyond your control, such as running over debris left on the road. You would imagine that in situations like this, your only recourse would be to make an insurance claim, but did you know that if such an incident happened on the highway, you can actually claim damages from the concessionaire itself?

That’s exactly what X user Nur Iylia Malek (@nurilyamalek) managed to do through PLUS Malaysia. In January, while driving on the North-South Highway, a stone kicked up by a roadside grass cutter cracked the windscreen of her Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan. She immediately pulled over, retrieved the contractor’s name and phone number from the grass cutter, and took a photo of the scene of the incident (including the kilometre marker) before proceeding to make a police report.

Shortly afterwards, Iylia submitted the PLUS claim form (you will need to submit this within 24 hours of the incident), which can be obtained through the official website. The said form allows you to input your details and those of your car, plus a description of the incident. A scanned copy of your IC/passport cover, driving licence and the aforementioned police report are required, as are photos of the damaged vehicle. The form can later be appended with the repair bill or invoice once you get it, which Iylia did a couple of days later.

There are a few things you will need to be aware of. Firstly, you will not receive the damages immediately – it took five months before the money was banked into Iylia’s account in late May – so you will in all likelihood need to either pay for the repair yourself or make an insurance claim first. In some cases, it may be quicker to contact the contractor directly to make the claim, as they will often be insured against such incidents.

You may also not be reimbursed the full amount of the repair, as PLUS itself told Iylia when she called. She did, however, eventually receive the exact amount of the windscreen replacement cost, which amounted to over RM6,000.

Do also be warned that while you can claim damages resulting from road debris, you won’t be reimbursed if it came from the car directly ahead of you, as Iylia herself found out when her car was hit by a steel bar in April. PLUS rejected her claim the second time around, telling her that they would only honour the claim if the company found it had not properly inspected the highway before the incident.

Lastly, the instructions listed above only apply for highways operated by PLUS. For other highways, you will have to contact their respective concessionaires for information on claims.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • ikekerong on Jun 06, 2024 at 8:35 pm

    how

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Gengsama on Jun 07, 2024 at 8:23 am

    nice reading, got issue, not chaos

    quality article

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
  • Wait, I taught if debris are found on the road, can claim from PLUS right? I was reading somewhere a few years ago, and it does mention that can claim from PLUS.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Diam-ler on Jun 07, 2024 at 8:54 am

    How about potholes?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • pyramid scheme on Jun 07, 2024 at 9:38 am

    insurans ni masa nak jual pada korang, semua OK, semua katanya boleh claim. Lepas dah jual, masa nak claim, macam2 tak boleh claim.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • SCion on Jun 07, 2024 at 10:17 am

    purposely get into harms way kah?
    first stone hit windscreen
    second metal bar from lorry
    third bridge fall down and smash her car kah?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 5
  • Claiming damages is one part of it. The victims need to spend time to get the damage unnecessary. Worst is if cause other accident.

    The main problem is lack of punishment to the culprits (highway operators and lorry companies) that they have no consideration when doing their work.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • observer on Jun 07, 2024 at 11:39 am

      Agreed. The claim to the highway operator should not be limited to the windscreen cost in this case. Everybody knows how long it takes to log a police report. It can take the whole day!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • ANWAR MENANG TOLL DIHAPUSKAN on Jun 07, 2024 at 11:59 am

    You may also “not be reimbursed” the full amount of the repair, as PLUS itself told Iylia when she called. She did, however, eventually receive the exact amount of the windscreen replacement cost, which amounted to over RM6,000.

    So which is which?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • Didn’t know Walaun do not understand English. The key word here is “may”. Look it up in the dictionary.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Pure location situation circumstances on Jun 07, 2024 at 2:55 pm

    Just becuase the poor grass cutter is nearby, the uneducated cutter is victimised.
    Did the driver collected the rock as evidence, the rock analysis is the same as where the cutter is standing?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 7
  • abcdefg on Jun 08, 2024 at 6:54 pm

    So you want me to go confront the grass cutter with a high speed spinning blade weapon on his hand? Yeah sure that sounds like a plan.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • HitMonKey on Jun 10, 2024 at 10:22 am

    If hit monkey can claim with plus? or have to claim with monkey

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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