The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has launched a campaign to reduce claims submitted before April 2021 that have yet to be finalised.
RAF has called on claimants to submit outstanding documents to finalise their claims and reduce the backlog of 321 000 claims.
Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, RAF Chief Executive Officer Collins Letsoalo said the fund is committed to efficiently settling claims in 120 days.
“Supporting documents play a crucial role in finalising a claim efficiently and speedily. They inform the Fund about what is being claimed, set out the basis of the claim, allow the Fund to investigate, and facilitate an assessment on the merits of the motor vehicle accident,” said Letsoalo
The fund has launched the “Drive Your Claim Forward” campaign aimed at encouraging claimants to submit outstanding documents and all the necessary information required to investigate as well as pay claims.
In July 2022, the RAF introduced a new form to improve service delivery and better manage the claim risk.
“The form was introduced to make it easier for legal practitioners to lodge claims on behalf of claimants, and more importantly, to assist with settling claims faster. The fund’s open claim backlog would not be on this scale if road accident victims and attorneys representing them submitted all the required information and documents upfront,” the CEO said.
Claimants can submit their outstanding documents via email on contactcentre@raf.co.za or drop the documents off at any of the Fund’s regional offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, East London, and Cape Town.
The documents can also be dropped off at the fund’s customer service centres in Bloemfontein, Polokwane, Kimberley, Mahikeng and Durban. More details about these offices is available on the fund’s website.
To determine which documents are outstanding, claimants should visit www.raf.co.za, click on the ‘Drive Your Claim Forward’ banner on the home page and get the information about which documents they need for their specific claim.
They may also contact the RAF’s Contact Centre on 087 820 1 111, via SMS on 44930, or by email on contactcentre@raf.co.za.
Claimants who request a call back will be contacted by one of the Contact Centre agents.
In the unfortunate event of being involved in a motor vehicle accident, the RAF Contact Centre is reachable on 087 820 1 111, from Monday to Friday, 07:45 to 4pm.
The RAF can also be reached through its offices countrywide, details of which are available on its website on www.raf.co.za.