Delouise Marais, Regional Manager of MUA Insurance Acceptances Gauteng
Potholes featured heavily in the recent election campaign with the DA having previously warned the problem was reaching ‘tipping point’ in addition to a number of private and public initiatives being established. However, despite this collected effort many consumers remain uncertain about whether or not their insurance policy covers them for damage caused by potholes.
According to Delouise Marais, Regional Manager of MUA Insurance Acceptances Gauteng, if a motor vehicle is insured on a comprehensive basis then any damage arising from potholes would normally be covered, however there are some exceptions that motorists should be aware of.
“An increasing number of insurance contracts have an exclusion which stipulates that damage to tyres, and in some instances damage to rims of car wheels, are not covered if the damage arises from road hazards and potholes, except where the damage is as the result of an accident which also causes damage to other parts of the insured vehicle.”
Marais says that in effect this means that if the only damage caused by a pothole is to the tyres of the vehicle then the insured would often have to fund this cost themselves. “It is advisable for the motorist to speak to a broker about this as there are specialist insurance products on the market that insure tyres for loss or damage without any onerous terms and conditions.
“If a consumer finds that their insurance policy does not cover such damage then in some cases it might actually make more sense economically to repair, rather than replace the rims, however this will depend heavily on the extent of the damage caused.”
She also cautions that if a vehicle is still under manufacturer warranty, then it is essential to always clear this with the manufacturer first, as repairs may sometimes invalidate the terms of the warranty.
She says damage caused by potholes can vary considerably depending on the severity of the accident and the type of vehicle involved, as well as the type of rims and tyres fitted on the car. “There is no way to assess how much pothole damage may cost, however, if a BMW X5 had damage caused to all four rims and tyres, then the bill could easily run to more than R30 000!”
“Even if the policy does cover pothole damage it is also important to remember that regardless of fault, the consumer would still be eligible to pay the basic excess, which in some instances could run into a couple of thousand Rand or more, as well as the adjustment on their claim free group which would result in an increase in insurance premiums.”
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