KIMBERLEY – Residents across the Frances Baard District Municipality received direct, face-to-face assistance from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) during an outreach initiative.
Hosted by the Sol Plaatjie Municipality at the Galeshewe Community Hall in Kimberley on Saturday 5 September, the event ran from 08:00 to 16:00, connecting accident victims directly with fund representatives.
Throughout the day, RAF personnel provided guidance and hands-on assistance to claimants and their families. The initiative focused on responsive service delivery, offering practical support that included registering new claims and guiding claimants through initial filings, assembling compliance documents, including police accident reports, medical records, case numbers, and vehicle registrations; checking claim statuses directly with case managers and reporting unscrupulous attorneys and touts to safeguard claimants from exploitation.
Attending community members were encouraged to bring personal identification alongside relevant case and medical documentation to ensure immediate processing.
Complementing the direct outreach, the RAF issued guidance to educate claimants on attorney fees and legal expenses, which can significantly reduce final compensation payouts if not properly understood.
To foster transparency, the RAF highlighted critical statutory protections under the Contingency Fees Act. Contingency fees charged by attorneys are legally capped at 25% of the total settlement or 100% of the practitioner’s normal fee, whichever is lower.
Claimants are not required to pay attorney contingency fees if a claim fails due to lack of liability or rejection by the Fund.
Legal costs are separate court-awarded or agreed expenses reasonably incurred to prove a claim (such as obtaining hospital records, court filings, and securing expert medical or actuarial reports).
The Fund urged represented claimants to clarify all deductions, expense inclusions, and potential extra charges with their legal representatives prior to finalising agreements.
Contact the RAF at its Call Centre on 087 820 1111 (Monday to Friday, 07:45 – 16:00) or WhatsApp on 071 605 4707 or SMS on 44930, or write to contactcentre@raf.co.za or visit raf.co.za.
