[imagesource:pxhere]
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has warned people against throwing themselves against moving vehicles in order to qualify for a claim against the Fund.
People are apparently waiting for vehicles to slow down enough that they don’t get killed on impact before throwing themselves in front or against the vehicle. This disturbing sign of the times adds unnecessary pressure on the Fund which must assess and investigate every claim.
It’s become such a trend that the RAF had to issue a press statement, saying: “The RAF does not compensate someone who intentionally causes a motor vehicle accident, even if this results in serious injuries. In the event of death, the RAF further does not compensate beneficiaries of those who are the authors of their own misfortune.”
Road users were urged to also remember that the Fund does not compensate for the death itself, but only pays
for the actual costs to cremate the deceased or bury them in a grave.
A total of 49,631 claims were declined from 2021 to 2024, with reasons including cases where
a claimant was solely responsible for causing the road crash; claims where the claimant died before finalisation of the claim; where injuries sustained were so minor that no claim for damages arose; and claims that were lodged fraudulently.
Jis, things must be bleak if you’re willing to throw yourself in front of a car in the hopes that the RAF pays out a few rands in this decade. It can take anywhere from three to six years for a claim to come to trial and be finalised. In some cases, it can take even longer.
Over the last five years, South Africa recorded a total of 7,987 road fatalities during the festive season. A total of
84% of these fatal road crashes resulted from human conduct. Pedestrians and passengers were the most affected road users at 40% and 33% respectively, followed by drivers (26%) and cyclists (1%).
Be careful on the roads this festive time people.
[source:raf.co.za]