Johan van Greuning, Head of Standard Insurance Limited at Standard Bank SA said that as soon as the South African Weather Service reports regarding severe storms began coming in, prior to any actual damage reports, the bank activated its plans to ensure that clients in need could lodge claims as conveniently as possible.
“In order to assist clients, we have extended our call centre daily operating hours until 20:00 so that claims can be registered after hours. For customers who prefer to lodge claims electronically, our online site or mobile and tablet app can be accessed 24-hours a day.”
The storms, which according to numerous reports are set to continue, have caused widespread damage to personal property and claims lodged include smashed windows, damaged roofs and ceilings, as well as damage to furniture and fittings within homes due to leaking ceilings. A large number of claims have also been submitted by motorists caught in the open by the storms.
“We are committed to assisting our clients in any way we can and advise those who have not registered their storm damage claims, to do so timeously. For those who are lucky enough not to have had any damage, we urge them to remain cautious in the coming days and weeks”, continues Mr van Greuning.
Mr van Greuning notes that many insurance companies issue SMS or electronic warnings to clients about potential storms and hail. “These notifications should be taken seriously and steps should be taken to secure homes and park cars under cover.”
- Make sure computers, TV’s, decoders and other equipment is disconnected from wall sockets to avoid damage caused by electricity surges caused by lightning strikes.
- Check that roofs do not have broken or loose tiles that allow the entry of water during heavy downpours.
- Ensure that roof gutters are clean and unclogged, so that water does not accumulate and seep through roof tiles onto ceilings.
- Keeping house windows shut, so reducing the chance of them being hit by hail or shattered by high winds.
“For motorists who are caught unawares whilst driving, we advocate a number of cautionary steps,” says Mr van Greuning. These include:
- Be proactive and ensure that windscreen wipers are always in good condition so that they can cope with sudden downpours.
- Turn headlights on so that you can be seen by other vehicles.
- Reduce speed to match the road conditions.
- If you can, pull off the road safely and activate your car’s hazard lights as a warning to other motorists.
- Never get out of your vehicle, because of possible injury from hailstones.
- Do not attempt to drive through water washing across the road. Your car could stall in the water and it requires only about 15cm of rapidly moving water to wash a car away.
“Customers with claims arising from this week’s storms should submit their claims as soon as they can. We are working to ensure that all claims are processed as quickly as possible; where required assessors will be sent out to inspect damage and assist with facilitating repairs,” Mr van Greuning.
Claims can be registered by contacting Standard Insurance Limited telephonically on 0860 123 444 for structural or building claims, or on 0860 109 459 for vehicle claims, or logging into the Standard Bank mobile or tablet app.
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