Insurance claims soar after Auckland takes a weather hit

Insurance claims soar after Auckland takes a weather hit

Auckland – 11 April 2018 – Hurricane force gusts and heavy rain in Auckland overnight has kept AA Insurance’s claims team busy, with over a week’s work of claims in just one evening.

“Our team has seen a large increase in calls to lodge home and motor claims related to storm damage, which is far more than we’d expect in a typical week,” says Amelia Macandrew, Customer Relations Manager, AA Insurance. “Claims have included trees falling on roofs, windows being sucked out of houses and roofs collapsing.

“We won’t know the extent of the damage or the cost until our customers are able to make a full assessment of their property, but we expect the number of claims to rise over the coming days.”

“In the meantime, we want to hear from those who need urgent assistance, including repairs to keep their homes watertight and warm,” says Amelia. “We also want to hear from customers who have been able to assess the damage to their home, contents or car.”

However, safety should be the priority for people affected by the weather, so there’s no rush to make a claim, but the sooner customers get in touch the sooner our team can help, she says.

“Our experienced team is ready to help with any weather-related claims and get things sorted quickly.”

AA Insurance advises its customers to:

Make sure you, your family and pets are safe first. There is no rush to make a claim for your home or contents, so once you have had a chance to assess the damage, get in touch with us if you need to make a claim
If you need urgent repairs to make your home safe, or if you need temporary accommodation, call us on 0800 500 216
Do not attempt to inspect or repair any damage until it is safe to do so
Keep damaged items if they are safe to do so, or take photos – this is useful to confirm what needs replacing
If your vehicle has been damaged or suffered flooding it may be unsafe to drive
Getthru.govt.nz suggests that if you’ve experienced a power cut and perishable food has been exposed to temperatures above 4°C for more than two hours then throw it out. Check everything is working in your fuse box, reset alarms and clocks, and re-stock your emergency kit
If your home is without power, turn your appliances off at the wall in case of a power surge.

ENDS

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