Drivers in Kazakhstan who are involved in road accidents often turn to so-called "auto lawyers," who, for a fee, act as intermediaries with insurance companies. However, such services can lead to financial losses, reports infohub.kz.
In most cases, car owners directly contact their insurance company for compensation. But some prefer to delegate this task to "helpers" who pose as auto lawyers. As noted by Azamat Kerimbayev, Chairman of the Management Board of Freedom Insurance, in many cases, the services of such intermediaries include actions that the driver could perform independently. As a result, the person pays "for nothing," and the insurance claim process becomes opaque.
"Sometimes unscrupulous intermediaries approach the insurance company with inflated damage claims, then deduct part of the payout as payment for their services, such as expert assessments, document collection, and support. As a result, the car owner may receive less than the insurance payout provides," the expert said.
"Helpers" often try to create a negative image of the insurance company, convincing clients that filing a claim is a complex and lengthy process, and that the final compensation will be small without their assistance. However, this is not true: currently, filing an insurance claim is not difficult, especially if you use the European Accident Report, which allows the procedure to be completed without involving the police or court.
Moreover, to process the claim, the intermediary needs the client's documents and other personal data, which poses serious risks. There have been cases where "helpers," having gained access to documents and bank details, took out loans in the clients' names.
Thus, several dangers posed by illegal "auto lawyers" can be identified: hidden deductions from the payout — intermediaries inflate the damage amount through controlled expert assessments and then deduct their service fees from the insurance compensation; threat to personal data — sharing passport, IIN, and bank details with third parties creates a risk of micro-loans and credits being issued in the car owner's name; lack of legal protection — intermediaries are not subjects of the insurance market and are not controlled by the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, so if agreements are violated, it is impossible to report them to the regulator.
Simply put, there is no reason for Kazakhstanis to involve "helpers" in filing an accident claim and receiving insurance compensation. At best, a person will receive less money than they could, and at worst, they will encounter a fraudster.
"An accident is always a stressful situation, but if the driver knows how to properly and legally complete all procedures, the payout will arrive in full, directly to their account, and on time," concluded the insurance company representative.