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Does your car insurance cover include riot damage?

Does Your Car Insurance Cover Include Riot Damage?

Does Your Car Insurance Cover Include Riot Damage?

Did your car get damaged in the 2021 riots? You may be covered and not even know it! Here’s how car insurance for riots works in South Africa.

How Does Insurance Cover for Riot Damage Work in South Africa?

In many countries around the world, it is the prerogative of the insurance company whether they cover riot damage or not. South Africa works differently thanks to an organisation called SASRIA. SASRIA works with insurance companies to cover riot damages for insured customers.

South Africans won’t have policies directly with SASRIA that cover civil unrest. Instead, the cover can form part of their current insurance policy. When their insured goods get damaged due to civil commotion, they can begin the claim process with their insurer, as usual. Their insurance company will then contact SASRIA and institute a claim.

Who is SASRIA?

SASRIA is also known as the South African Special Risk Insurance Association. It is an organisation that is owned by the state and covers losses or damages to insured assets due to special risks. This company is the only insurer that covers damages for these kinds of incidents in the country.

SASRIA was established after the 1976 Soweto uprising, when a hundred and seventy six people died in demonstrations against the apartheid regime. At the time, South African insurers stopped offering coverage for riot related damages to insured assets because of the scale of the damages caused. Business owners and those with insurance coverage needed a new way to cover these risks, and so the government started SASRIA.

Today, the organisation has R8.5 billion in assets and is more than equipped to pay out the millions of Rands in claims that riots cause every year in the country. Civil commotion in recent years has led to almost a billion Rand in claim pay-outs by SASRIA each year! We are one of the only countries in the world with this sort of organisation.

What Does SASRIA Cover?

The South African Special Risk Association covers special risks such as public disorder, strikes, riots, terrorism, and public disorder. The insurance they offer is sometimes called protest insurance or riot insurance. Any companies, individuals, and other business or government entities that own assets in South Africa can receive this civil authority coverage for damage to vehicles, personal property, and any insured possessions due to violent riots, civil unrest, or other special risks.

SASRIA only covers these types of risks when the events occur within South Africa’s borders. They do not typically cover looting and theft, unless the looting occurs during a recognised civil commotion or, as SASRIA names it, an active SASRIA peril for which SASRIA has accepted liability.

They cover physical damage such as property damage and vehicle damage and anything that isn’t covered in other categories of cover. In the engineering industry, SASRIA covers contract work and construction plants. They offer business interruption cover and losses as a consequence of an active peril in the area.

When it comes to cars and vehicles, all types are covered. Business interruption coverages do not currently include transportation costs and hotel bills for displaced workers. You can find out more about their coverage through your insurer. They should be able to inform you in detail what your comprehensive insurance policy coverage includes from SASRIA.

Is My Car Covered Against Riot Damage in South Africa?

If you own an auto policy from an insurer in South Africa, you might already be covered, but don’t assume you are. It’s best to contact your insurer and confirm your SASRIA coverage. Typically, malicious damage will be covered by the most comprehensive options. Standard insurance policies don’t necessarily include SASRIA coverage.

Sometimes, insurers treat special risk coverage from SASRIA as optional coverage that you can purchase as an extra. It’s best to buy comprehensive car insurance and make sure the comprehensive coverage includes SASRIA cover before signing on the dotted line. In these uncertain times, car protest damage cover has become a necessity.

If your car isn’t insured, SASRIA won’t cover it either. That’s because they work through insurers and offer cover solely for assets that are already insured. When malicious mischief leads to glass breakage and any other damage to your car, you can ensure it is covered with a policy that includes SASRIA cover.

How to Make Sure My Car is Covered for Riot Damage

You can find out if your insurance service provider includes car insurance for riots by speaking to them today. If you do not have car insurance yet, you can choose the best option for you by filling in the form at the bottom of this page.

There is no obligation from your side, and it’s so easy. You fill in the form, and our system matches you with the ideal insurance provider for you. They will contact you, and you can ask them about your coverage options before choosing.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is accurate at the time it was published and is provided for informational purposes only. It shouldn’t be construed as medical or legal advice.

Sources: Grib; News24; timeslive;

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