The articles written by the PÚBLICO Brasil team are written in the variant of the Portuguese language used in Brazil.
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Extreme events like those seen a few days ago in Portugal, when strong winds caused damage in several locations, will be increasingly frequent. In this unpredictable environment, prevention is a key factor in reducing damage. And that goes for everything. Brazilian Eloísa Caram, 55, and her boyfriend, Victor Schneider, 58, residents of Braga, always left their cars in a public parking lot near their home. They could never have imagined that a tree would fall on both vehicles at the same time. That’s what happened on Wednesday, October 9th.
“The tree fell on the cars at around 5:30 in the morning. It was a big scare. Nobody expects that”, says Eloisa. She, however, is fully protected: her car is fully insured. As for Victor, only mandatory insurance against damage to third parties. In other words, he will have to bear the damage caused by nature. “My car is very old, from 2011. In fact, it was very difficult to find a company that would accept insurance for the vehicle. I managed it, but it was quite expensive: 730 euros (R$4380), paid in 12 installments”, he says. “In my boyfriend’s case, it’s a very new model, an SUV. At least, his loss was 2 thousand euros (R$ 12 thousand)”, he adds.
Civil Defense workers cut down a tree that fell on two Brazilian couple’s cars in Braga
Personal file
When evaluated, Eloísa’s car was priced at R$3,900 (R$23,400), the insurance, therefore, corresponded to almost 20% of this value. The former bank employee, who has been in Portugal for five years, believes that the vehicle was a total loss. The insurance company, however, has not yet dropped the hammer, but has granted him a spare car for five days, a period that ends this Tuesday (15/10), when a definition of compensation is expected. “Fortunately, I am one of those who have insurance for everything, including cell phone theft, even though this type of crime is not common in Portugal. I prefer to be protected”, he highlights.
Victor still hopes that the damage caused by the tree will be compensated by the Braga City Council, as they are natural phenomena. Everything is up for discussion. He chose to only take out mandatory insurance because it was expensive. “These are choices according to each person’s vision. I always recommend taking out car, home and health insurance. I was a banker for most of my life and I learned that insurance is not to be used. But, if you have it and something happens, you feel protected”, points out Eloísa.
Insurance consultant, Fernando Amorim states that there is a lack of knowledge among Brazilians about insurance rules in Portugal
Personal file
Ignorance
Fernando Amorim, an insurance consultant, says that many Brazilians, when they arrive in Portugal, are lost when deciding whether or not to take out full insurance for their cars. “There is, to a large extent, a lack of knowledge about how car insurance works”, he emphasizes. He explains that, in Portugal, all vehicles must have mandatory civil liability insurance against damage to third parties. The limit coverage for material damage is 1.3 million euros (R$7.8 million). In the case of bodily harm, the limit is 6.4 million euros (R$38.4 million). It is within these values that, in the event of accidents, insurance companies define compensation.
Other insurance is optional, and the interested party can choose which coverage they want in their policies. There is insurance against theft, collisions, natural events, among others. “People can choose whether they want one or two toppings or the complete package. It is important to make it clear that this has a cost, and, for some, it can be high”, adds Amorim. The final price also depends on other risk factors, such as, for example, the driver’s history, whether he frequently claims insurance, whether he has never had insurance before, where he lives, what model of car he is”, he lists. Therefore, it is essential to obtain quotes from different companies to identify which product best fits each person’s budget and needs.
There are other rules that people coming from abroad, which has become increasingly common in Portugal, are unaware of. “For example, if the car is imported, was purchased in Germany and registered in Portugal, insurers only accept optional insurance after four years of the vehicle being legalized in the country. But mandatory insurance, which corresponds to DPVAT in Brazil, applies to all cars”, highlights the consultant.
There is also the issue of the franchise. The value is defined between the client and the insurer. And the lower the deductible, the higher the cost of insurance will be, as the risk is being pushed onto the company. “If the costs to resolve car problems, whether or not caused by an accident, are higher than the deductible, the insurer assumes the difference, that is, the customer pays the agreed amount and the company, whatever exceeds this limit”, states. “Faced with so many details, it is important to consult a specialized professional to avoid making mistakes”, he advises.
