Standard Insurance Limited increases efforts to process storm damage claims

The storm, hail and resultant flash floods that have swept across Gauteng the past two days, leaving a swathe of destruction in their wake, has seen Standard Insurance Limited registering nearly 600 claims for damage to cars, buildings and homes in the past 24 hours.

Denise Shaw, COO for Standard Insurance Limited 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.

The storms, which according to numerous reports are set to continue into the weekend, have caused widespread damage to personal property and claims lodged include car accident claims, smashed windows, damaged roofs and ceilings, as well as damage to furniture and fittings within homes due to flooding and leaking ceilings. A large number of claims have also been submitted by motorists caught in the open by the hail and storm.

“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 Ms Shaw.

Ms Shaw 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.”

“For motorists who are caught unawares whilst driving, we advocate a number of cautionary steps,” says Ms Shaw. These include:

• Try to avoid being on the road, but if you are, drive slowly and carefully
• Reduce speed to match the road conditions and increase following distance to at least three-cars distance
• Turn headlights on so that you can be seen by other vehicles.
• If you can, pull off the road safely and activate your car’s hazard lights as a warning to other motorists.
• Do not park under trees ad there is a risk of falling branches and debris
• Be proactive and ensure that windscreen wipers are always in good condition so that they can cope with sudden downpours.
• Never get out of your vehicle, because of possible injury from hailstones.
• Do not attempt to drive through water washing across the road, or across low water bridges. Your car could stall in the water and it requires only about 15cm of rapidly moving water to wash a car away.

Additional steps that the public can take to avoid damage to homes and property when storms strike include:

• If possible, 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.

“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,” says Ms Shaw.

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.