How to successfully claim from the Road Accident Fund
The truth about the RAF: It’s easy to focus on the negative news, but did you know the Road Accident Fund paid out R45.6b to South Africans last year?
With South Africa’s road fatality rate sitting at four times the global average, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is a vital lifeline we can’t afford to ignore.
According to Eugene Beck, non-executive chairman and the founder of RoadCover [www.roadcover.co.za], while the fund often makes headlines for the wrong reasons, the reality is that it paid out over R45.6b last year to victims and their families.
Read more: Sandringham CPF’s mandate includes ensuring a partnership in local policing and safety initiatives
As we head into the 2025 festive season, a time when over 1 500 people lost their lives last year, knowing how to navigate the RAF is the difference between financial ruin and a successful recovery.
The RAF isn’t just a government entity; it’s your social safety net. If you are injured or lose a loved one in a crash (including hit-and-runs), the fund covers:
- Medical expenses: Both past and future treatments.
- Loss of earnings: Vital if an injury prevents you from working.
- General damages: For pain and suffering.
- Funeral costs: Helping families in their darkest moments.
Also read: Strap In! Child Safety Shouldn’t Take a Holiday
The catch: Why ‘going it alone’ is hard
If the fund is so important, why the bad reputation? For the average South African, the claims process is a mountain of complex paperwork, expensive medical assessments, and legal hurdles. Doing it independently while recovering from trauma is often too much for most people to handle.
How to get your full payout
To get the most out of the system, you need a partner who knows the channels. But be careful who you choose:
- The “25%” trap: Many attorneys take up to 25% of your final settlement as their fee. On a large payout, that is a massive chunk of your recovery money gone.
- The membership model: The smartest move is finding a partner—like RoadCover—that operates on a small monthly fee. This ensures that when the RAF pays out, 100% of the settlement goes into your pocket, not a lawyer’s.
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