Facts About Road Accident Claims in South Africa

Facts about Road Accident Claims

South Africa’s road accident statistics are absolutely shocking with an estimated 36 people dying on the nation’s roads every day. Over 14 000 road accidents are reported each year, many of them involving under or uninsured vehicles.

Hundreds of millions of rands written off

Annual financial write-offs, as a result of damages to uninsured vehicles, by the big vehicle financing companies in South Africa, run into the hundreds of millions of rands.
Recent reports indicate the problem is being exacerbated by growing poverty and burgeoning retrenchments due to the global recession.

The Road Accident Fund, which effectively provides insurance cover to all drivers of motor vehicles in South Africa, is reportedly under enormous pressure.
The statutory body compensates the victims of an accident, or the family of those killed, owing to negligence on the roads. With a growing compensatory demand, due to the increasing incidence of motor vehicle accidents, there is a real threat of the fund collapsing.

Road Accident Fund under extreme pressure

The fund, which is subsidised by a fuel levy, has also made recent news headlines for quite the wrong reason. Fraudulent road accident claims are estimated to total over R1 billion per year!

All in all, the future doesn’t appear to be all that bright for the perpetrators, or hapless victims, of a motor vehicle accident in South Africa.

Consult an attorney to deal with the red tape

Apart from the doom and gloom associated with the RAF, reams of red tape are commonplace when submitting a claim to the Road Accident Fund. Instead of going head-to-head with the state bureaucracy, it’s a far better idea to hire an experienced attorney to liaise on your behalf.

Critical steps to follow after a road accident

When involved in a road accident, the following procedures must be followed for your lawyer to be successful with a road accident claim:

• Record the personal details of the driver, passengers, witnesses, police and other emergency personnel on site, including their ID numbers.

• Make a note of the registration number and description of the car.

• Jot down the date, time and address of the accident.

• Attempt to get a statement from any witnesses as soon as possible.

• Take photographs of the accident scene, the damages and the associated injuries.

• Sketch a quick plan of the accident scene.

• Report the accident to the nearest police station within 48 hours and request a SAPS collision report.

• Consult a medical professional if you have sustained injuries. Make sure your doctor writes a report of the accident and the treatment meted out.

• Should you wish to submit a claim to the RAF, It’s imperative your doctor complete an MMF 1 form.

• Retain all hospital and medical records and accounts to back up your claim.