The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has warned claimants that it will not compensate someone who intentionally causes a motor vehicle accident, even if it results in serious injuries.
PICTURE: PixabayThis comes as its reported that people throw themselves
against moving vehicles, to enable themselves to claim from the Fund. It is
understood that such people wait for the vehicles to slow down enough that they
do not get killed on impact before throwing themselves.
‘’This behaviour is dangerous and adds unnecessary pressure
on the Fund which must assess and investigate claims of rightful claimants
efficiently. In the event of death, the RAF further does not compensate
beneficiaries of those who are the authors of their own misfortune,’’ said McIntosh
Polela, RAF Head of Corporate Communications.
The RAF Act requires that the respective degrees of fault,
blame or negligence, amongst other things, must be determined upon receiving a
claim.
According to figures from RAF, it declined 49 631 claims from
2021/2022 to 2023/24. It cited 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.
‘’We acknowledge road users may be faced with
socio-economic challenges. However, road safety and road crash prevention
efforts must remain a priority to all as they contribute towards the reduction
of accidents,’’ said McIntosh Polela, RAF Head of Corporate Communications.
RAF says 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.
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