Court awards widow, kids R3.7m RAF payout after husband's fatal motorcycle crash

A WIDOW and her two minor children are set to receive R3.7 million from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) after the death of her husband and father to her children in a motorcycle accident.

- ZELDA VENTER

The widow turned to the North West High Court, sitting in Mafikeng, to claim loss of support from the RAF, as her husband was the family’s breadwinner.

The RAF earlier accepted liability towards the woman and the children, and the matter was subsequently back in court to determine the amount with which she should be compensated.

The court confirmed the deceased’s legal duty to support both the plaintiff and the minor children in terms of the Constitution and the Children’s Act.

Despite actuarial evidence suggesting a 53% reduction in the amount the widow should receive based on remarriage statistics, the court, considering the plaintiff’s age and personal circumstances, applied a 20% remarriage contingency to the plaintiff’s future loss of support.