Judge calls RAF actions "plain stupidity"

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Judge calls RAF actions "plain stupidity"

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) got a tongue-lashing from the Western Cape High Court on Thursday for attempting to rescind and set aside almost R7-million awarded to a road accident victim.

Judge Daniel Thulare had to consider whether a judgment granted in favour of the victim on 7 December 2020, where the RAF elected not to participate in judicial proceedings, should be rescinded.

[GroundUp]

 

[deweyzeph]

Just make it compulsory for every driver to have 3rd party insurance and there would be no need for the RAF.

 

[Lupus]

Just make it compulsory for every driver to have 3rd party insurance and there would be no need for the RAF.

3rd party with medical, as that is what the RAF is supposed to cover

 

[deweyzeph]

3rd party with medical, as that is what the RAF is supposed to cover

Yes, obviously insurance companies would need to adjust the types of liabilities covered by 3rd party insurance to include medical.

 

[BTTB]

Just make it compulsory for every driver to have 3rd party insurance and there would be no need for the RAF.

I bought my first car in 1985, I recall having to go to a place in the centre of Cape Town to buy a Third Party Coupon for my car, possibly an Insurance Company office.
It cost about as much as your annual licence fee?
All getting vague now.

Today if such a third party disk cost the same as your licence then it would be far cheaper than paying all these levies on fuel that isn't ring-fenced by the Government plus the third party claims would rather be administered by Insurance Companies who would be more efficient and less susceptible to fraudulent claims.

I think that a tax on fuel is still the fairest method of taxation as your consumption of fuel is linked to your time on the roads. Just the Government since Trevor was Finance Minister has basically abused the price of fuel, each year adding another 20 cents which compounded over time, when the tax should have remained constant and regulated by an independent body.

What they are going to do with EVs is another story. They'd have to insist that EVs have a minimum of a third party insurance to go on the road?

 

[Tman543]

RAF tries saves cost by not appointing attorneys to dispute case, fails to attend court entirely.

Has to pay R7m to claimant. LOL nice cost saving measures.

Once again government linked organization are blatantly mismanaged with no consequences.

 

[deweyzeph]

RAF tries saves cost by not appointing attorneys to dispute case, fails to attend court entirely.

Has to pay R7m to claimant. LOL nice cost saving measures.

Once again government linked organization are blatantly mismanaged with no consequences.

It's actually bizarre that we even have such a thing as the RAF. Governments should not be involved in running what is essentially a massive insurance company. Private sector insurance companies are much better equipped and experienced in handling insurance claims which is why we urgently need to reconsider compulsory 3rd party insurance.

 

[_TrXtR_]

Chief Operations Officer:Ms Maria Rambauli (Acting)

 

[RonSwanson]

RAF tries saves cost by not appointing attorneys to dispute case, fails to attend court entirely.

Has to pay R7m to claimant. LOL nice cost saving measures.

Once again government linked organization are blatantly mismanaged with no consequences.

And we get to pay the costs for their failed and patently stupid attempted rescission.

 

[Hemi300c]

Just make it compulsory for every driver to have 3rd party insurance and there would be no need for the RAF.

And then everyone will complain about insurance premiums

 

[Fuzzbox]

The biggest problem with the RAF is that a large percentage of claimants contribute NOTHING towards the FUND.
Only the driver who puts fuel in said vehicle contributes.
This is a very skewed system and grossly mismanaged.

 

[Gravedigger]

R7M?? That's a lot of gravy...

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Just make it compulsory for every driver to have 3rd party insurance and there would be no need for the RAF.

Third party insurance used to be and still is compulsory. You had two discs on the windscreen, the one for your vehicle licence and the other for the third party insurance. The third party insurance was incorporated and still is incorporated into the fuel price.

 

[Thor]

He meant fraud and corruption by the ANC Government - if the judge does not mean that then he is not fit to be a judge.

 

[deweyzeph]

And then everyone will complain about insurance premiums

If you can't afford car insurance you shouldn't be on the road. It's as simple as that.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

If you can't afford car insurance you shouldn't be on the road. It's as simple as that.

Everybody already pays third party insurance when they buy fuel. It's different to car insurance.

 

[deweyzeph]

Everybody already pays third party insurance when they buy fuel. It's different to car insurance.

That's a false equivalency. Third-party insurance that you buy from a car insurance company only covers damage to a third-party's vehicle. It doesn't cover medical claims. The RAF only covers medical claims and not damage to third-party's vehicles. What we need is proper third-party insurance from car insurance companies that covers all damages and medical claims from third-parties, and to get rid of the RAF and remove the government from the equation completely.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

That's a false equivalency. Third-party insurance that you buy from a car insurance company only covers damage to a third-party's vehicle. It doesn't cover medical claims. The RAF only covers medical claims and not damage to third-party's vehicles. What we need is proper third-party insurance from car insurance companies that covers all damages and medical claims from third-parties, and to get rid of the RAF and remove the government from the equation completely.

You obviously don't know what I'm on about nor the history of the compulsory RAF insurance. The third party insurance you used to buy and that is now included in your fuel costs covers persons involved in the accident only by the RAF, regardless of who is at fault, not the vehicles nor the other party's vehicle(s).

The private comprehensive or third party vehicle insurance you buy from a private insurer covers the vehicle(s) and maybe some medical liability. That has not changed since I got my licence in the 1970's.

 

[Lupus]

The biggest problem with the RAF is that a large percentage of claimants contribute NOTHING towards the FUND.
Only the driver who puts fuel in said vehicle contributes.
This is a very skewed system and grossly mismanaged.

The biggest problem is the large percentage of people who benefit from the taxes contribute very little to that well.

 

[Hemi300c]

That's a false equivalency. Third-party insurance that you buy from a car insurance company only covers damage to a third-party's vehicle. It doesn't cover medical claims. The RAF only covers medical claims and not damage to third-party's vehicles. What we need is proper third-party insurance from car insurance companies that covers all damages and medical claims from third-parties, and to get rid of the RAF and remove the government from the equation completely.

And do you relalize the costing of your insurance will be.........