Don't simply have insurance, have good insurance

Don't simply have insurance, have good insurance

Travelling from Durban to Pinetown on the day, he says "you only appreciate insurance when something happens and you see the value you pay for first hand."

"It was the middle of the morning and it had been raining so the roads were wet. I was extra cautious and remember as I took the off ramp towards Pinetown, I heard a screeching sound behind me." Gavin says he instinctively looked in his rear-view mirror to see what was going on. In the image reflected back at him he saw a silver Toyota Corolla speeding towards the back of his car. "To my horror, I could see the car was going way too fast for the space available behind me," he says. He remembers a cold feeling as time seemed to slow down. "I looked in the rear-view mirror again and automatically braced myself for the imminent crash."

Gavin says following the impact his car was pushed at least 30 metres forward. "My first thought was to try get my car off the road and out of the way of the car pushing mine forward." But, with the right rear wheel of Gavin's car locked and unable to turn, he was forced to let go of his efforts to get off the road. "I realised this was not the average bumper bashing as the car that crashed into mine made its way back on the road with the police in hot pursuit." Gavin says he was surprised that in the midst of everything he was able to jot down the number plate of the suspects' car on a piece of paper he had handy.

Gavin recalls it was around 30 seconds after his car came to a standstill and he got out that he received a call from Discovery Insure. "A very important service at the time, I assure you. The person said they detected that I was involved in a collision and asked if I needed medical assistance. I explained that, fortunately, I was uninjured as I saw the impact coming and could brace myself," says Gavin. Following the crash, he left his car in the right-hand lane on the road to avoid being involved in a second collision.

Gavin says that having that immediate contact from Discovery Insure was immensely reassuring. Other road users were eager to get past the accident scene and only one person showed hurried concern for his wellbeing. "So, knowing that help was on the way made me feel safe and calmed."

Gavin recalls that within minutes of the incident there were several tow trucks on the scene. Within 30 minutes he received an SMS notification to authorise towing of his car. "It was not only an accident scene, but also a crime scene. This meant we were not allowed to move my car until police's forensic services could finish their work." He says the tow truck driver and a colleague stayed with him. He also phoned his financial adviser who joined him at the scene and helped to start the claims process and his Avis car hire.

"As we waited, Discovery Insure called numerous times to find out if I was okay and to confirm that my hire car was being arranged," says Gavin. The tow truck driver took Gavin to the Pinetown Avis depot where a car was waiting for him. Gavin says although he was a bit shaken, he still managed to complete his work in Pinetown. In the meantime, police also made progress and managed to stop the hijackers in the stolen vehicle. Gavin says, "I was pleasantly surprised when I received a call later in the evening from the forensics police asking me how I was."

Following this experience Gavin is grateful to his financial adviser for the advice and help in a stressful situation. "In what could have been a potentially disastrous situation, I received care and great service. My wellbeing came first, and I had almost nothing to do except to answer some questions during a few phone calls. Everyone from Discovery Insure was great. Everything from the first call, to getting my replacement car, to having the tracker fitted has been seamless.

We often complain about the costs of insurance, only to realise the value of the services when we need it." Gavin says Discovery Insure "being there" for him made him see the value of not simply having insurance but of having good insurance.

Watch Gavin talk about his experience with Discovery Insure