What everybody should know about their policies ...
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Car Insurance Claims: What You
Need to Know ...
Load Shedding Affects Everyone - Being Prepared is Key.
To File, or Not to File an Insurance claim?
Being involved in a car accident, or having your car stolen means you’re probably experiencing a huge amount of stress, so knowing how our claims process works could go a long way in alleviating your distress.
When completing a car accident claim form, the following information must be provided:
- A short and clear description of the incident.
- Clear photographs and a sketch of the incident.
- Details about where the incident happened.
- The exact time of the incident.
The more information we have about the incident, the quicker we can process the claim.
Having a clear and detailed description helps avoid the delay of requesting additional information. It also helps us to make sure that you’re covered for that particular event.
Photos and a detailed sketch of the accident are especially important as they show us the area of impact. They also assist in determining whether the description of the incident matches the damage to the vehicle/s.
The time and place of the incident will determine whether or not the Insurer should appoint an investigator to validate the claim. This is especially relevant to incidents which occur in high-risk areas and between 10pm and 4am on weekends.
If you’d like a more detailed breakdown of our claims procedure, please visit our Submit a Claim page.
Load-shedding increases the risk of power surges, especially when the power is turned back on. When these sudden increases in voltage occur, a surge protector detects the excess current and safely diverts it through your home’s grounding path.
Overloading a surge protector
Just because a multi-plug extension cord has eight outlets, it doesn’t mean you should be plugging in eight different appliances. If you don’t
limit the number of appliances you connect, it’s pretty easy to overload a power surge protector and have a circuit breaker trip.
Overheating a surge protector
When a surge protector overheats, it begins to smoke or melt. At this point, not only can it shock or burn someone, it can also ignite a fire that will lead to property damage. If you have a surge protector operating under obvious strain, unplug some appliances immediately or stop using it altogether.
What does the red light on a surge protector mean?
The red protection light indicates that your surge protector is providing protection to your equipment. If the red light stops working, it usually means your surge protector has been damaged and a new one should be purchased.
What is the lifespan of a surge protector?
Surge protectors don’t last forever. Most estimates put the average lifespan of a surge protector at anywhere from three to five years. And if your home is subject to frequent load-shedding or blackouts, you might want to replace your surge protectors as often as every two years.
You can find surge protectors online, or at any electronics store. They can either be linked to a single appliance or be connected to your main electrical panel.
If you can, it’s probably best to keep your tv and computer cables, telephone cables linked to modems and other sensitive equipment completely unplugged during load shedding.
There are no hard-and-fast rules regarding the terms of no-claim bonuses or rate hikes. What one insurance company forgives, another won’t forget. But bear in mind: any claim may pose a risk to your rates. Understanding your policy is the first step toward protecting your wallet.
If you know your first accident is forgiven, or a previously filed claim won’t count against you after a certain number of years, deciding whether or not you should file a claim should become easier. Properly understanding your policy wording long before you need to file a claim is also important,
Minimizing the number of claims you file is key to protecting your insurance rates from a substantial increase. A good rule of thumb is to only file a claim in the event of catastrophic loss. If your car is slightly damaged in a fender-bender you may be better off if taking care of the expense on your own but if your car is totalled in an accident, filing a claim becomes a more economically feasible exercise.
Keep in mind that even though you have cover and have paid your premiums on time for years, your Insurer can still adjust your risk profile by applying higher excesses to future claims, or by agreeing to a limit on future cover. Your Insurer’s final resort will be not to invite policy renewal or issue notice of cancellation.
If you’ve had your cover cancelled and are now struggling to get cover from another Insurer, you should attempt to improve your risk profile,
Once a short-term insurer has rejected you as a client, the financial consequences can be far-reaching. You may find that most insurers won’t want you as a client and those that are willing to take you on, will charge a hefty premium.
Suretimes Insurance Administrators (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial Services Provider – FSP 1962.