How long does a RAF claim take?

One of the first questions people ask after lodging a Road Accident Fund claim is how long it will take. The honest answer is that every claim is different.

Some claims are more straightforward. Others require several medical expert reports, further assessments, court processes, or disputes about who caused the accident, whether the injury is serious, or how much compensation should be paid.

A claim usually moves through several phases. These may include pre-lodgement preparation, lodgement with the RAF, issuing summons, pre-trial steps, possible settlement discussions and, if necessary, a hearing. 

The RAF may consider the merits of the claim, assess the seriousness of the injury, refer the claimant to its own experts and review loss of earnings calculations. In some matters, parts of the claim may settle separately, such as general damages and loss of earnings. 

RAF’s own statistics show claims take, on average, around three years to finalise. 

That can feel like a long time, especially when someone is trying to recover, return to work or support a family. This is why it helps to have a team that understands the process, follows up properly and knows when to move the matter forward through the courts.

A RAF claim may take time, but it should not stand still.