Are You Insured for Hail Damage and Other "Acts of God"?

The recent spate of thunderstorms in SA has brought plenty of rain to many parts of the country as well as the odd hail storm. One particular storm in October caused damage in parts of Johannesburg which has been estimated at 1 Billion Rand. The destruction was caused by a hail storm which damaged thousands of vehicles, factories, homes and other buildings with hail stones bigger than golf balls. Vehicles caught in the storm were left with visibly dented panels and smashed windows. After the storm the question on the minds of those affected was probably "am I covered for this?" So will you be covered for an incident like this and what exactly are "acts of God"?

Insurance companies differ when it comes to covering hail and storm damage, but most comprehensive cover policies do protect you for this. It is critical though, that you double check your car insurance policy to check if you are covered. If hail damage is not specified make sure that you pay the extra premium to cover this, even if you do not live in an area that gets affected by storms like this, you might be visiting an affected area at the time. The financial implications can be massive as the damage could run into the hundreds of thousands of rands, depending on the type of car. Not getting the damage fixed will negatively affect the resale value of the car.

"Acts of God" are described as unforeseen natural disasters that take place autonomously, or without human intervention, and cause damage to a vehicle like an earthquake, a tidal wave, a volcanic eruption, a tornado or a hurricane. There are other incidences that could cause damage to your vehicle like an act of terrorism or war. Whilst living in SA should exclude the possibility of these disasters from happening to you, except in extreme circumstances, you should consider the possibility of events like a strong wind that blows a tree over on top of your car. Because these events are rare in SA, even comprehensive cover might not protect you from this so be sure to check before you need to claim.

Even if you are covered for natural disasters like these, prevention is always a better option. Make sure you park your car in safe surroundings and pull over in hail storms as travelling at a speed will increase the damage. Be safe and make sure you are covered.

View the original article here