Medical experts to withdraw services from Road Accident Fund due to non-payment

✔ Fact Checked by TDPel News Desk

By Lola Smith

Published: March 10, 2022 | 9:47 AM

Non-payment has prompted medical experts who assess accident victims for the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to write to Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to inform him that they are withdrawing their services.

They provided medical and legal expert services, such as consultations and injury assessments, preparation of expert witness reports, and presented evidence in court for RAF attorneys.

The experts say they have been struggling to get their payments from the RAF for several years.

The medical experts say the Road Accident Fund only recently informed them that they were not authorised to perform services which were conducted since 2015 and will therefore not be paid.

Video: Road Accident Fund reduces liability to R20 billion:

In the letter, they state that their work may not and should not be used as evidence in any matter in the future because it is said to be illegal. This means the RAF cases can no longer progress until the experts have been paid or until new medical expert opinions are obtained.

As a result of ongoing non-payment, some experts say they shut down and sold their houses and cars due to huge overdrafts and VAT owed to SARS.

Last year, RAF said it posted a surplus of R3.2 billion for the 2020/2021 financial year. This was followed by a deficit of R5.2 billion from the previous year.

The entity has been battling financially over the years as a result of more claims from road crashes as well as fraudulent claims.

The gradual stabilising of the entity has been attributed to a new board that was appointed 18 months ago.

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About Lola Smith

Lola Smith is a highly experienced writer and journalist with over 25 years of experience in the field. Her special interest lies in journalistic writeups, where she can utilize her skills and knowledge to bring important stories to the public eye. Lola’s dedication to her craft is unparalleled, and she writes with passion and precision, ensuring that her articles are informative, engaging, and thought-provoking. She lives in New York, USA.