Insurance: uSpiked Public Service Announcement
The insured are often left with the burden of sorting their own damages
These are SA's top home insurance providers. We would like to examine how they handled your storm damage claims. “Insurance companies are not in the business of paying out claims” is a mantra of eminent forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow. Companies would often find that micro-dot of a reason to repudiate your claim. It's been exactly eight weeks today since the SAWS' storm warning.
In Brief
- uSpiked is not accusing any of the providers of mishandling claims filed by their clients as yet. We are still at the preliminary stages of the investigations and are keen to watch out for the small person.
- The storm gravely impacted middle-class neighbourhoods of Cape Flats, including Athlone.
- Why didn't providers activate their ever-active call centres to check with their respective clients on the extent of storm damages? There is a likelihood that some consumers are even not informed about the policies they pay premiums for. We are calling on them to join us in our re-brand; 'examine your bank monthly debits and particularly from insurance service providers.'
At the onset of the 2021 winter, South African Weather Service warned Cape Town residents of an approaching cold front. In the communique dated Sunday 11 July 2021, the Service warned “Strong winds are expected on Monday across the Cape provinces and may result in property damage in some areas…”
In an ideal world, institutions would have gone into overdrive on receiving the SAWS' warning. Various newsrooms in Western Cape province had their reporters on standby to cover the aftermath of the projected storm, and they surely did. Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre activated its war-room to deal with the anticipated weather chaos. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman’s Gift of The Givers also had its disaster team on standby. The media collectively did its part.
But what did South African home insurance providers do? This we don’t know. However, following in the teachings of uSpiked’s friend and forensic scientist, Dr David Klatzow, “insurance companies are not in the business of paying out claims”. So it would be logical to assume that when the top fellows at the leading property insurance providers saw the communique, they instinctively went into setting up means to fend off the impending claims filed by their clients.
We have seen one such claim that is being mishandled by a provider. uSpiked is now assembling experts on all matters related to storm damages that could have resulted from the July 12 storm. The experts would include actuarial scientists, loss adjusters, civil/structural engineers, mold experts as well as medical experts.
Announcement:
If you are a Cape Town resident whose insured property was damaged during the July 2021 storm, we ask you to contact us. You can either send an email detailing your experience during and after the storm (attach photos/videos) to a dedicated email address Claims@uspiked.com or simply complete the digital form provided here. Information provided will be handled in strict compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act and shall not be shared with any unauthorised third parties.
We understand the impact of mold on your health and any delays by the insurance providers in making your status whole or as near-whole as possible have some medical implications to your health.
If your claim has been settled and with some confidentiality agreement, we would like to hear from you too.