Momentum pays four more families

“SOUTH Africa stood behind me, so I’m glad I’ve made a difference in other people’s lives.”

That was the comment from Durban widow Denise Ganas, whose claim from insurance giant Momentum turned the insurance industry on its head in November.

Her victory in a David and Goliath battle with the insurance company has resulted in several families receiving surprise payments.

Momentum rejected Ganas’s claim after her husband, Nathan, died in a hail of bullets in the driveway of their home during an attempted hijacking in 2017.

The rejection was on the grounds he had failed to declare on his application that he had tested for high blood sugar levels prior to taking out his policy.

Momentum cited Nathan’s failure to disclose his high sugar levels as the reason for rejecting the claim, so Ganas approached the media.

After the news coverage, public outrage went viral on social media platforms. Under intense public pressure, Momentum paid out the R2.4 million policy to Ganas.

This week, Momentum confirmed that four beneficiaries whose policy holders died from violent crime and whose family’s claims were rejected have now been paid out.

“To date we have paid out five claims to the value of R7.3 million, including the payout to Mrs Denise Ganas.

“The new solution we created states that in the case of death due to violent crime, we will pay out the death benefit regardless of previous medical history (limited to a maximum of R3 million),” Momentum said.

Yesterday, Ganas said: “Perhaps what happened to me was a blessing in disguise.”