A KwaZulu-Natal law firm has been held liable for negligence after it lied for years, causing a man's 1995 Road Accident Fund (RAF) claim to lapse, according to IOL.
The court ruling, reported by IOL on Saturday, found that the firm's conduct over an extended period directly led to the claim's failure. The man's original claim, dating back to 1995, was ultimately lost because of the firm's actions.
IOL reports that the law firm's repeated dishonesty was a central factor in the case. The negligence spanned several years, during which the firm misled the client about the status of his claim. This pattern of deception prevented the man from taking corrective action in time, allowing the claim to expire.
The judgment marks a significant outcome for the claimant, who had pursued the matter for decades. The ruling establishes that the firm's misconduct, not the claimant's inaction, was responsible for the lapse. Legal observers will likely watch whether this decision prompts similar claims against other firms with historical RAF cases.
