Devastating flood damage hits the Western Cape Insurer ready to assist policyholders with prompt claims handling process This past weekend saw various media relay images of the extensive damage and personal trauma experienced in the Western Cape after heavy rains carried by the Black South-Easter, which last devastated Laingsburg in the Karoo, battered the area causing flooding that left at least 20 000 people without homes. Some of the worst affected areas included Somerset West and the Strand forcing responsive Disaster Risk Management teams to rally in support of the public, plucking people off roofs, relocating hospital staff and patients, and rescuing others. In addition to the severe damage caused to houses, roads and businesses across affected areas, farmers also face heavy crop losses. While it is too early to estimate the total cost of the damage, Santam, the country’s largest short-term insurer, expects claims to run into several millions of Rands. “We are committed to promptly assessing claims and are ready to quickly assist all our affected policyholders,” says Attie Blaauw, Head of Personal Lines at Santam. This weekend’s extreme weather follows an intense hailstorm which recently hit several areas on Gauteng’s East Rand. This month, a year ago, devastating fires blazed through St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape where Santam settled all of its claims – in the region of R40 million. A key learning from the St Francis Bay catastrophe is the critical role of the intermediary during catastrophes, so we cannot stress enough the importance of clients speaking to their intermediaries to begin the claims process so that there are no unnecessary delays, and to get professional assistance in the administration of their policies,” says Blaauw. “The last thing anyone wants in a situation like this is to have to deal with paperwork and processes that an intermediary knows best and manages expertly,” he adds. Blaauw advises policyholders to take note of Santam’s available SOS services, such as Santam’s Road and Home Assist services that provide much needed support in emergency situations. Santam policyholders that have been impacted by the floods from the weekend can contact Santam’s 24/7 SOS Emergency and Claims line on 0860 505 911 to register a claim.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 07:11:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015