Durban — The Road Accident Fund (RAF) says it wants its claimants to be able to come to them directly as lawyers usually take an unnecessary amount in claimants payout. This was said by the Raf CEO Collins Letsoalo at a three-day conference which started on Wednesday and will finish on Friday at Ballito, in Zimbali Estate.
In this conference the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) funds from Botswana, Namibia, eSwatini and South Africa are set to exchange knowledge about the best ways to rehabilitate road crash victims. The conference attendees include case managers, academia, non-profit organisations in rehabilitation, and research organisations.
Letsoalo, said with this conference, the RAF is continuing in its quest to improve the experience of claimants, particularly those undergoing rehabilitation, as part of the fund’s transformation journey.
“Apart from the compensation paid to the claimant, the RAF also provides assistance for ongoing medical treatment. We are thus strengthening the expertise and offerings we deliver, in order to make appropriate medical decisions and deliver services of a higher standard,” he said.
He said the RAF’s medical assistance takes many forms. It includes: structural changes to the claimant’s motor vehicle and house, eg. ramps, bathroom modification; payment of caregivers where the injured need assistance with their daily activities or future medical care; and access to support equipment such as wheelchairs.
“This is because the RAF is responsible for rehabilitating and compensating persons injured as a result of car accidents in a timely and caring manner. This is in addition to providing appropriate cover to all road users within the borders of South Africa, and actively promoting the safe use of the country’s roads,” said Letsoalo.
Recently, the RAF launched a Customer Relationship Management contact centre, manned by 300 staff members, to improve the claim processes. Letsoalo said claimants can call them on 087 820 1 111 to check on their claims and how much is their payout. He said they were committed to finalise claims within 120 days.
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