After the crash: RoadCover brings the Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims journey to life
An immersive event reveals what happens after a motor vehicle accident and why the amount a claimant keeps matters as much as the settlement awarded.
The crash makes the headlines but the journey that follows rarely does.
Through a series of staged scenes at its media event held at its headquarters in Randburg, RoadCover brought that journey into focus. The event demonstrated to journalists and the media at large how a Road Accident Fund (RAF) claim unfolds, what goes into reaching a settlement and how claims management can ease the burden on accident victims and their families.
The experience took a complex process off the page and put a human story at its centre: someone whose life has changed, whose income may have stopped and whose family now faces an uncertain future.
“For many people, a road accident is only the beginning of the trauma,” says Amanda Rogaly, CEO of RoadCover. “Then come the questions: How will I earn a living? What happens to my family? Where do I start with a claim? With this event, we wanted the media to see the person behind the paperwork,” she added.
A settlement is more than a headline figure
The event highlights a question RoadCover believes deserves greater attention: How much of a successful settlement actually reaches the claimant?
Compensation can be critical to rebuilding a life after an accident. Legal fees and expenses deducted from a settlement can reduce the money available to the injured person or grieving family.
RoadCover’s membership model starts at just R29 per month and means no fees or expenses are deducted from a successful claimant’s RAF settlement. The claimant receives 100% of their settlement. RoadCover supports a broad range of road users who may have a valid RAF claim following an accident including passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who meet the relevant requirements.
“A settlement is money someone may need to live on, support their children or rebuild their future,” says Rogaly. “That is why keeping every rand matters. Our members should be able to focus on their recovery while we manage their qualifying RAF claim from start to finish.”
Making a complicated journey understandable
The staged experience illustrated the journey after an accident through the claims process and the settlement, explaining RoadCover’s role along the way.
It also encouraged guests to look beyond the immediate crash report and explore the longer consequences of road accidents. This includes disrupted livelihoods, pressure on families and the challenge of navigating an unfamiliar process.
RoadCover is not an insurer and does not determine RAF awards. Its role is to manage qualifying RAF claims on behalf of its members, handling the entire process.
For the media attending the launch and those reporting on the issue from elsewhere, the message is clear: understanding what happens after an accident is an essential part of understanding its impact.
Founded 21 years ago, after being hit by a vehicle whilst on his bicycle, Eugene Beck, RoadCover’s Founder and Executive Chairman, says that “the company has secured more than R840 million in RAF settlements over the past seven years alone, helping over 6,000 people. We estimate that our model has kept R336 million in the hands of claimants and their families, money that could otherwise have been deducted for fees and expenses and which remains available to support households and communities across South Africa.
“Behind every settlement is a person whose life has changed and a family trying to move forward. I founded RoadCover because we believed that the compensation intended to rebuild those lives should stay with the people it was awarded to. Twenty one years later, that purpose remains at the heart of everything we do.”
Beyond the claim
Over and above managing claims, RoadCover's focus on supporting accident victims also extends beyond the formal claims process through the RoadCover Care Foundation.
The Foundation was established to provide practical assistance to accident victims who may fall outside traditional funding structures or require additional support during their recovery.
This can include assistance with items such as mobility aids, rehabilitation, transportation, education and longer-term care.
Rogaly explained, “Getting a settlement is not necessarily the end of someone's journey. For many people, that is where the real work begins. Recovery can take months or years, and the impact of an accident can extend to an entire family. The Foundation allows us to step in where we can and provide practical help that makes a real difference.”
Turning awareness into action
RoadCover wants the event to prompt more conversations about road user-rights, the importance of understanding claims agreements and the financial consequences of settlement deductions.
“We cannot undo an accident,” says Rogaly. “But we can take care of the claims journey and ensure that no fees or expenses are deducted from a successful member’s settlement. That is a difference that matters long after the headlines have moved on and this is the opportunity, at 21 years, to look back at how far the business has come and also to look ahead.”
About RoadCover
RoadCover manages the Road Accident Fund claims process on behalf of its members following a motor vehicle accident, handling the journey from start to finish.
RoadCover is not an insurer. It manages qualifying RAF claims end-to-end, navigating the process on behalf of its members with no fees or expenses deducted from a successful claimant’s settlement.
This means the claimant receives 100% of their RAF settlement.
Beyond claims management, RoadCover is committed to road-safety education, accident-prevention initiatives and making a meaningful difference to South Africans on the road before and after an accident.
No fees. No deductions. 100% of the settlement is yours.
*Information provided by the publicist.
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