Quick answer
Prepare five folders: identity and authority, accident details, medical treatment, work and income, and expenses or other loss. Add a sixth submission folder for the exact claim form, attachments and proof of delivery. Use the accident date and the driver or owner’s identification status as early control facts, because prescription rules are not the same for every claim.
How to use this guide
Do not delay legal triage until every record arrives. A lawyer or the Road Accident Fund’s current direct-claim channel can identify missing items, but the form, legal requirements and delivery method should be checked at the time of action rather than copied from an old checklist.
Start with identity and authority
Keep a clear identity document or passport for the injured person and claimant. Reconcile names, identity numbers and contact details across hospital, police, employment and claim records. If someone acts for a minor, deceased person or injured person who cannot manage the claim, collect the documents establishing that capacity instead of assuming family relationship is enough.
Depending on the situation, authority material may include a birth certificate, guardianship or curatorship order, Master’s appointment, death certificate, marriage or dependency record, or a signed mandate. The correct claimant and signatory should be established before forms are finalised.
Assemble the accident document set
Create a cover sheet with date, time, exact location, vehicles, drivers, owners, passengers, police station, accident-report or case reference, ambulance service and treating facilities. Preserve:
- the official accident report and available sketch or docket details;
- registration, driver, owner and insurer information;
- witness names and contact details;
- scene, road, signal and vehicle photographs or video;
- emergency-service, towing and traffic records; and
- messages or notes made close to the collision.
If neither the driver nor the owner can be identified, mark that fact prominently and seek prompt advice. The regulatory period for that unidentified-vehicle claim is shorter than the ordinary route where either identity is established, and it is unsafe to wait for routine document collection before checking it.
Build the treatment folder in sequence
Begin with ambulance and emergency records, then add admission, clinical notes, diagnoses, imaging, procedure notes, discharge information, prescriptions, referrals, therapy and follow-up. Keep medical accounts, itemised invoices, receipts and medical-scheme statements in a separate cost section.
The statutory claim procedure includes a medical report, while the RAF 4 serious-injury assessment belongs to a separate question about general damages. Do not assume every claimant needs an RAF 4 or that a serious diagnosis alone satisfies that process. Ask which report is required, who may complete it and when it should be obtained.
Prepare work and income documents
If the injury affected work, collect the employment contract, job description, payslips, payroll or employer confirmation, sick-leave and incapacity records, bank statements and tax material that show the pre-accident position and actual change. Record reduced hours, altered duties, unpaid absence and return-to-work attempts.
Self-employed claimants should keep business accounts, invoices, bookings, contracts, bank records and tax returns from before and after the collision. A calculation prepared for the claim should stay separate from the source documents. Loss of earnings is not simply salary multiplied by time away from work.
Keep every expense traceable
Use a schedule showing provider, date, service, invoice, amount paid, payer and proof reference. Identify medical-scheme or other reimbursement rather than claiming the same amount twice. Transport, care, equipment and treatment costs need a clear connection to the injuries and evidence of payment or liability.
Do not discard small receipts or alter originals. Photograph fragile paper, retain the original securely and connect each image to the schedule. Future treatment and care estimates require appropriate clinical support; a personal estimate is not proof of future cost.
Control the form and delivery record
Verify the currently lawful prescribed form and procedure before lodging. Public forms and operational instructions can change or be affected by court decisions. Complete each applicable field accurately, mark genuine non-applicable items clearly and avoid guessing missing details.
Keep the final signed version, numbered attachment index, delivery method, receiving office, tracking or receipt and every later RAF acknowledgement, objection or request. Acceptance of a pack for processing does not prove that the claim is valid or that compensation will be paid.
Before submission, compare the cover sheet against every attachment and list inconsistencies for correction or explanation. A different accident time in the hospital notes, a misspelled surname or an employer letter using another absence period should not be silently altered. Preserve the source, obtain the proper correction where possible and let the final pack explain any unresolved difference accurately.
What a document pack cannot decide
Documents help establish identity, accident, injury and loss, but they do not determine negligence, apportionment, causation, serious injury, prescription or compensation. Vehicle-damage recovery is not an ordinary RAF injury benefit. Obtain current, matter-specific advice where the driver is unidentified, time is short, injuries or earnings loss are substantial, or a form or settlement requires a decision.
FAQs
Do I need every document before speaking to a lawyer?
No. Bring what you have, a missing-document list and the accident date. Deadline or unidentified-vehicle advice should not wait for a perfect pack.
Are vehicle repair documents part of a RAF injury claim?
They may help describe the accident, but the RAF statutory compensation scheme is for bodily injury or death, not ordinary vehicle-damage recovery.
Is the RAF 4 report required for every injury claim?
No. RAF 4 belongs to the serious-injury assessment process for general damages and is distinct from the medical report associated with the claim form.
Should I keep a copy of the lodged claim?
Yes. Keep the exact signed form, every attachment, the index and reliable proof of legally effective delivery and receipt.
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Source notes
Legal note
This article is general legal information for South African readers. It is not legal advice. Speak to a qualified legal professional about your specific facts before taking action.