Outsurance: Cost savings before saving lives

My husband, 3 year old son and I, being 20 weeks pregnant, was in an accident 27 December 2020. Our vehicle collided with a herd of ***s which was chased into the road. This collision resulted in all the air bags being deployed in our vehicle (Toyota Fortuner 2019 model). The vehicle was towed the 28th of December, I think to Bloem, to be assessed.

Outsurance phoned me about 3 weeks later to tell me that the vehicle has been assessed and they have decided that the airbags will be replaced by a Toyota accredited panelbeater in Warrenton. I asked why they didn't write it off and the call agent said he will come back to me, because he also knew if the airbags deployed the vehicle must be written off. There was numerous calls of fighting up and down. Then I asked the sales guy can I speak to his manager. I spoke to her and she was saying the vehicle needs to be opened up to see if there is any structural damage before it can be written off, where I asked her but the airbags has deployed and you'll want to send the vehicle to a panelbeater in Warrenton, and I asked her does she know where Warrenton is.

Warrenton is a one street town, we stay close to 2 cities on average 2-3 hours from us also with accredited Toyota panelbeaters and they want to take the car there.

I also asked her what guarantees can she give me that the airbags will definitely deploy in the future, because it is clear to me that she does not carry my family safety on her heart.

After a never ending argument I told her "Mam this is leading no where, we will go ahead with legal action and she must have a blessed day further".

We approached the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance, where outsurance said that they don't want to write off the vehicle because the damage is not more the 20% of the vehicles value. This is the merit that has to decide whether my family lives matter or not because to fix this vehicle would cost R180 000 and to pay us out would be R500 000. They even went as far as to say I was adamant from the start as to whether the vehicle should be written off. After I asked them numerously what guarantees can you give me that the airbags will deploy again. Because I know of two instances where the airbags was replaced and did not deploy. My limited knowledge about vehicles is that once the airbags deploy the vehicle is written off.

We still awaiting the verdict from the Ombudsman. But outsurance has shown me that if anything happens in the future that put my families life in danger. They will put financial gain before human lives. Outsurance has changed our brand new vehicle into a death trap. That is what we are getting out.

I would like the readers to share there views on the above and to also share the same experiences.