Natural disaster claims: What you need to know

South Africa’s weather can be unpredictable, with storms, floods, and wildfires happening often. These natural disasters can lead to serious damage to our cars, so understanding how to file a claim for weather-related damage is important.

In this blog, we’ll explain what South African drivers need to know about natural disaster claims, how you can safeguard your car, and show you how Prime South Africa can help if your car gets damaged by bad weather. We’ll also cover the steps to take when filing a claim.

What are natural disaster claims?

A natural disaster claim is an insurance claim you submit after your car has been damaged by severe weather events. These events, often called “Acts of God,” can include storms, floods, natural fires, or strong winds that are beyond human control.

If you have comprehensive car insurance, your policy might cover these types of events, but it’s always good to check your policy details to be sure.

In our Prime South Africa policy, a “natural fire or disaster” is considered as “a naturally occurring fire (e.g. veld fire or forest fire), earthquake, lightning strike, flood or wind storm, but excludes arson and fires originating from within the car”.

Please note that all our policies are available for you to view and download online at any time, and we’re always happy to clarify and answer any questions you might have.

Common natural disasters

Natural disasters that often damage cars in South Africa include storms, floods, wildfires, and strong winds. Each of these can cause serious damage, ranging from dents and shattered windows to total loss.

Storms

South Africa experiences powerful storms that can lead to hail, heavy rain, and flying debris. This can cause costly damage to your car, including shattered windows, dents, and even more severe issues, such as a damaged roof. Remember to make sure your car is parked under cover. If there is none nearby, cover your car with a heavy blanket to help prevent or lessen hail damage.

Floods

Flooding is becoming increasingly common in certain regions of South Africa. Water damage can ruin your car’s engine, electronics, and upholstery, sometimes leaving the car irreparable. Never try to drive through a flooded road; rather, seek an alternative route, turn around, or even switch off your car’s engine while you climb to a place of safety.

Wildfires

With South Africa’s hot, dry conditions, wildfires are becoming more frequent. If your car is caught in a fire, it’s likely to be written off.

Strong winds

Strong winds can knock over trees, poles, or other objects onto your car, causing serious damage. Flying debris may also knock into your car at high speeds, leaving dents.

Check your policy coverage

Before any disaster happens, it’s important to know what your car insurance plan covers. Not all policies offer protection for natural disasters, so take a moment to review your policy.

Furthermore, there might be specific scenarios, such as your car not being covered for a weather and natural disaster claim if you were driving off-road like on the beach, and a wave washed it away.

Top things to look for

When checking your car insurance policy, look for coverage for storm, flood, and fire damage. Make sure you’re familiar with the terms, exclusions, and payout limits.

Storm and flood coverage

If you have comprehensive insurance, your insurer will likely provide cover for damage caused by heavy rain, hail, or floods. However, policies can differ in terms of payout amounts and what “damage” is covered, so make sure you check your policy for the details.

Cover for fire damage

Wildfire damage can lead to total loss of your car. Make sure your insurance covers fire-related damages, especially if you live in an area prone to wildfires. Remember that anything that could be considered arson or fires that start from inside your car will not be covered by Prime.

Weather alerts

Many insurance companies, including Prime South Africa, send out severe weather warnings. These alerts can help you take precautions, like moving your car to a safer spot before a storm hits.

Tips for protecting your car

While you can’t stop natural disasters from happening, you can reduce the risk of damage. Let’s look at how.

Avoid driving during severe weather

If you can, stay off the roads during heavy storms or floods. You can seriously damage your car’s engine and electronics and even write off your car when driving through flooded areas.

Keep your car in good condition

Regular maintenance can help protect your car from additional damage caused by weather-related incidents. For example, making sure your tyres are in good condition can help you safely drive on wet roads.

Look out for weather alerts

Stay informed about upcoming storms, floods, or severe weather. Many insurers will send you an alert, too. This can help you prepare by moving your vehicle to a safer place, such as a garage, before the storm hits.

Park in a safe place

If severe weather is coming, try to park your car in a garage or covered area to protect it from hail or falling debris.

Filing a natural disaster claim

If your car has been damaged by a natural disaster, here are the steps to follow when filing a claim.

Step 1: Assess the damage

As soon as it’s safe, check your car for damage. Take clear photos of all the areas with damage. These will be necessary when you submit your claim to the insurance company. Remember to check the windscreen, tyres, body panels, and interior.

Step 2: Contact your insurance provider

Once you have photos of the damage, contact Prime South Africa or your insurer to report the damage. Submit all relevant information, including photos and details about the natural disaster, like when and where it happened.

Step 3: Submit your claim

After contacting your insurer, follow their instructions to file your claim. You’ll need to fill out some forms and provide the necessary information. In the event of a natural fire or disaster, you have to take your car to an authorised assessor so they can inspect the nature of the damage.

Step 4: Follow up

Natural disasters often result in a large number of insurance claims being filed at the same time, which can lead to processing delays. After submitting your claim, Prime will notify you about the process.

What affects your claim?

There are several factors that can affect how long your claim takes to process and whether it’s approved. Let’s take a look at each of these.

Policy limits

Some policies may not cover certain types of natural disasters, or they may limit the payout. Make sure you know these details of your policy before you submit your claim.

Extent of damage

The more severe the damage, the longer the claims process can take. In some cases, a vehicle may be written off if the cost of repairs is more than the car’s value.

Claim backlog

After a widespread natural disaster, insurers may face a high volume of claims, which could delay the processing time.

The importance of comprehensive insurance

Having comprehensive insurance is the best way to protect you financially from natural disasters. It covers a range of weather-related events, like storms, floods, and fires. If you don’t already have comprehensive coverage, it’s worth making sure your car is protected.

Prime South Africa offers insurance plans that cover natural disasters, giving you peace of mind no matter what the weather brings.

Get car insurance today

Make sure your car is protected from unexpected weather by getting comprehensive car insurance from Prime South Africa. Start by getting a car insurance quote, or check out our guide on the different types of car insurance.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information on what you need to know about natural disaster claims. Always read each policy carefully before purchasing any car insurance cover.

Buying car insurance should be done with much thought and only from a certified financial services provider.

Contact us today to learn more about getting affordable, comprehensive car insurance with fixed premiums* and a reduce-to-zero excess*. *T&Cs apply.