(RAF)
  • The Road Accident Fund is encouraging potential claimants to claim directly from them instead of using a lawyer.
  • The fund lists three steps for claiming: compiling documents, completing forms and then submitting them.
  • Claimants stand to reap the full payout and benefit due to them by forgoing lawyers, according to the fund.

Victims of road accidents have been encouraged to bypass the services of lawyers to lodge claims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

The #KeepItSimple campaign by the RAF simplifies the claims process into 'three easy steps that anyone can do on their own without needing any legal help,' according to the fund.

By handling the claim yourself, you stand to reap the full payout and benefit due to you, says the fund.

"One myth is that a middleman facilitates speedy claims," according to the RAF's Chief Marketing Officer, Phumelela Dhlomo. 

How to claim from the Road Accident Fund: 

1. Compile the necessary documents

Step 1: Compilation of necessary documents. (RAF)

The documents required to launch a claim with the RAF are:
1. The police report and/or case number of the accident.
2. All your relevant personal details as well as those of any other person involved in the accident.
3. All medical documents supporting the claim of injuries incurred.
4. Any motivating testimony from medical and/or legal experts as well as witness testimony.
5. Any relevant information pertaining to the accident such as damages to vehicle/s and/or surrounding structures.

2. Complete the submission forms

Step 2: Completion of submission forms. (RAF)

Claims must be lodged on a claim form (Form 1) which provides basic information on the claimant, the vehicles and parties involved in the collision, the date and place of accident and the amounts claimed. It also contains a medical report by the treating doctor. 

Drivers of the vehicles involved in the collision must furnish details of the accident to the RAF on a separate accident report form.If general damages are claimed, a Serious Injury Assessment Report must be submitted to the RAF confirming that the injury sustained is serious.

All forms are available for download on the RAF website.

3. Submit the documents

Step 3: Submission of documents. (RAF)

Once the necessary forms are completed and accompanying documents are ready, the documents must be submitted in hard copy. The RAF does not accept emailed documents.

The claimant's evidence is then considered by the RAF. 

Dhlomo says that the claim should be processed within a few months. According to her, doing it through a lawyer, who also takes at least 25% of the payout, could take 3 to 5 years.

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