WeeklySA_AdminBRAKES :The brake discs were in good condition
By Thuli Zungu
Elle Nthangeni has accused insurance company, Mutual and Federal of unfairly rejecting her claim after she complied with the Road Traffic Act. Nthangeni 41 of Elandsfontein, says her claim was rejected on the grounds that the brakes of her truck were worn out.
She said proof that the brakes of her truck were indeed serviced in February this year did not convince the company which nevertheless rejected her claim. Nthangeni bought a Mercedes Benz truck that was financed through several banks in September 2019.
She later took an insurance cover with Federal and Mutual under a broker, One Insurance Managers. The truck was operating a family business after they secured a contract with a company called Kodav Bulk Logistics to deliver goods around the country.
The truck became involved in an accident three months after the owner had changed the brakes. The accident happened at Ingogo while travelling from the Nelspruit side to Kwa-Zulu Natal to deliver oranges. Nthangeni and her husband submitted the claim to the insurance but it was rejected on the grounds that the truck’s brake pads were worn out, says Nthangeni.
She appealed and supplied Mutual and Federal with a receipt from Africa Truck Parts confirming that the brake pads were replaced with new ones on February 24. This did not help as they claim was again rejected. “The photo of the mechanic changing the brake pads and his affidavit still did not help to validate my claim.”
Nthangeni says the people who towed the truck from Ingogo to Escort, which is about 200 kilometres from the accident scene, did so without releasing the bolt nut fully, which resulted in the brake pads wearing out. The truck was also looted by the community because the truck was not parked at a safe place, says Nthangeni. She took photos of the accident scene which shows that the brake discs were still in a very good condition before it was towed to Escourt., she says “We found the booster pipe disconnected on the scene and some parts were loose while others were stolen,” says Nthangeni.
She has been paying a monthly premium of R6 109 since October without fail. ‘’It is so painful to pay your insurance premiums and your claim is rejected’’. Nthangeni says she was trying to make a living and instead she is now experiencing financial strain as she can’t afford to repay the loans she took from the different banks who financed her truck. She says the insurance company has now threatened to charge her storage fee if she does not remove the truck from their premises.
Nthangeni said they took pictures of the accident . The tyres were intact. But later they established that the front tyre and spare wheel were missing. The tool box and batteries were damaged with but the thugs failed to take them because they were secured by a padlock.
“A lot of things were completely broken and a lot of things missing including the wheel lock nuts key,” she says.
‘’The truck was stripped. Some wheels were Loose. The driver’s bag, the radio speakers, the truck’s mounted phone and the truck’s keys were missing,” says Nthangeni.
