With how much does the RAF payout? A whiplash injury may merit a payout of R100 000 for General Damages, while a broken leg could result in a claim of R400 000 and a serious brain injury as much as R2 000 000.
These amounts are for General Damages only and not past medical & hospital expenses or past and future loss of income.
NB: The average value paid out per claim was R138,010. R826,007 was the average pay-out for loss of earnings. R482,291 was the average pay-out for general damages.
HOW MUCH CAN I EXPECT?
There are 3 parts to calculating the value of your settlement from the Road Accident Fund. Firstly, there is a payment for your medical expenses. Secondly, you can claim for the loss of future earnings. Thirdly, there is a payment for damages for pain and suffering. Before 2008, claimants received settlements for all types of injuries including minor injuries. However, a change to the law means that damages for pain and suffering (General Damages) will now only be paid for “serious injuries”. While each case has its own specific factors, there is a guideline for settlement payments based on previous cases similar to yours.
Your payout will depend on several factors – how severe your injury is, the impact it’s had on your life, the treatment that you will need in future… A whiplash injury may merit a payout of R100 000 for General Damages, while a broken leg could result in a claim of R400 000 and a serious brain injury as much as R2 000 000.
These amounts are for General Damages only and not past medical & hospital expenses or past and future loss of income. Often, the Road Accident Fund will make an offer directly to claimants in the hope of an early settlement. While these offers can often seem very attractive, they may also be a small percentage of what could reasonably be expected if the claim proceeds. That’s why it’s important to retain the services of an experienced road accident claims attorney who can advise you on whether or not the offer is reasonable.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO CLAIM?
Using a specialist road accident attorney like Davidson England will cost you absolutely nothing upfront. We will act for you on a no win, no fee basis. We get paid a percentage of your payout only if we are successful with your claim. If we don’t win, we don’t get paid. What’s more, we will also take care of all the costs of your claim.
This includes disbursements to medical specialists and other experts whose evidence is needed to support your claim. Of course, if you wish to pay legal fees on an hourly basis, this is also possible. In this case you will also have to have pay the costs of the disbursements for your case. To find out more about the Road Accident Fund you can also visit their website.