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Knowledge Hub

This Pretoria home is a living testimony as to why we need home insurance

5 min read

This Pretoria home is a living testimony as to why we need home insurance

General News January 29, 2019

The thought of a car crashing into the walls of your home is a nightmare that none of us would ever foresee happening. Sadly, it can happen, as seen at the home of a family in Pretoria. Not only has it happened once, but a car careened into the property of this family for the third time this year. This story makes one immediately think about the importance of having buildings insurance, as you never know what might happen to your home.

According to a Pretoria Moot Rekord report, the family from Daspoort, which is in the West of Pretoria, are concerned about their safety after yet another vehicle crashed into their property for the third time in 2018.

Rina Steenkamp, sister of the homeowner, Caren Dicks, said “This was the third incident where a vehicle had smashed into the property. In total, I can’t recall how many vehicles landed in the property, it has been happening for years now and we want the municipality to build barriers to avoid further accidents,” she said.

The driver of the bakkie that crashed into their home drove into the fence and then into the house itself around 2 am on a Sunday morning, according to the report. The driver sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene before being transported to Kalafong hospital.

Steenkamp said relocating to another place was not an option because the house had been in the family for generations. “It was passed down to my sister by our parents and their parents gave it to them before that," she said.

What you can do if a vehicle damages your property

So, what if a car crashed into your house? Legal experts, LawForAll who shared some insights on this topic with wheels24, says: “It’s important to know that you are legally entitled to claim compensation if another driver caused the accident and your property is damaged as a result."

"If the tables are turned and you suffer damages to your property, you can lodge a claim with your insurance provider within the required time-frame. The insurance can settle the claim in full and will probably institute a civil claim against the negligent party. If you don’t have insurance you will have to institute a civil claim,” LawForAll said.

It’s essential that you do the following:

· Write down the full names and ID number of the driver and any witnesses

· Get the driver's (and witnesses’) address, email and phone number

· Take pictures of the damage to your property

· Write down a detailed description of the vehicle – colour, make and model, registration number

· Should the police, traffic officers or medics show up, take down their details too

LawForAll says you should take note that you will only have three years from the date of the accident to claim, “if not, the claim will lapse and there won’t be recourse”.