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Go to selection - more about
Damage Assessment
The RAMLA web pages are designed to supply you with valuable information's to sort out material motor car accident compensation cases occurred in a traffic collision on South African roads.
You will find a lot information that can help you to claim for damages or to deal with disputed motor insurance claims and even to defend you, if you face an inflated high and unreasonable claim against you.
On your way looking for a professional car accident damage assessment, to quantify and calculate your traffic accident damages occurred one of the provinces of South Africa,
Gauteng - Freestate - Northern Cape - Limpopo - North West - Mpumalanga - KwaZuluNatal (KZN) - Eastern Cape - Western Cape -
you found the RAMLA web pages giving you some ideas about the pro and cons of an independent damage investigation and what you should look on to get a reliable accident damage report, helping you to proof the material claim, against the liable party or the motor insurance company.
Even if you are located in one of the mayor cities of the country such as Cape Town - Bloemfontein - Johannesburg - Soweto - Pretoria - Polokwane - Durban - East London - Port Elizabeth - or in the wider areas around those cities or wherever in the county you are,
RAMLA (Road Accident Management & Legal Action) can support you with various service options nationwide.
Working with RAMLA will of course be the most comfortable and economic support in pursuit of a legal compensation claim, whether against a 3rd party or directed to any motor insurance company in South Africa.
Motor car accidents happen on a daily basis, and in all the South African provinces, wherever you are, in Gauteng - Freestate - Northern Cape - Limpopo - North West - Mpumalanga - KwaZuluNatal (KZN) - Eastern Cape or in the Western Cape.
In the several provinces you find differences in the level of risks, according to traffic density, conditions of the roads, day and night times, weather conditions and many more.
A motor car accident rarely does happen just out of one singular fault. Mostly more influential factors and other negligent actions must get together causing a traffic accident at all,
when driving through Cape Town or Kahilitsha, Paarl, Parow, Calvinia, Springbok, Vredenburg, as Port Elizabeth, but not just there.
In all our South African cities and even in rural areas, are risks by travelling a vehicle on public roads. Be aware that most accidents happen in your very near neighbourhood or on your daily way to or from work in your home town Middelburg, Graff-Reinet, Somerset - East or Somerset West, Grahamstown, Bisho, Zwelisha or East London, due to the facts that one who is very familiar with this routine, will not be on the alert level one should be.
You can minimise to be dragged into an auto collision, if you concentrate on the traffic, abide by the basic precautions and don't contribute negligent in driving, by let's say texting or telephoning behind the steering wheel.
But even if you live in other small towns or mayor cities such as Umlazi, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Potchefstroom, Port Elizabeth, Knysna, Krugersdorp, Oudtshorn, Mossel Bay or Worcester you have to be aware of the danger by making your trip.
Other road users may not be up to their best abilities, be drunk for example or driving a motor car that better should not be on the road, as it is not roadworthy and so poses risks to other motorists.
Just participate in local traffic within the towns and villages as Roberson, George, Kimberly, Rustenburg or Mabopane, you can be caught up in a vehicle crash at all times, despite you may drive carefully and respect the rules of the road. The other party is always even your risk.
Minimising the probability to be caught up in a road crash, especially in bustling cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto, Germiston, Rustenberg, Welkom, Bloemfontein, Polokwane , Durban or Cape Town, where high volumes of motorist getting along all day, the risk to be involved in a car accident is much higher than just travelling in quieter areas as Klerksdorp or Mahikeng.
The best will be, if you are on high alert all the time you drive a motor car. Taking care of keeping proper following distances which is a very good measure not to be involved in car accidents,
when you on the roads of Kimberly, Queenstown, Beaufort West, Prieska, Upington, Vryburg, De Aar, Belfast, Bethlehem, Kroonstad , Harrysmith, Mabane, Nelspruit or Ermelo.
In huge metropolis as Johannesburg or Cape Town where you deal with rush hours when commuters get to and from work in the morning and evening hours, the danger to be trapped up in a motor car accident are explicitly higher as to other traffic times.
If you have been unlucky dragged into an auto accident caused by another one or more motorist who drove negligent, not abiding the rules of the road or even careless and subsequent suffered material damages to your motor car, you want that the liable party pay compensation you for losses.
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RAMLA is an organisation specialised in resolving vehicle accident matters and offers you professional and dedicated claim management, for anyone in need of legal support or advice to finalise a car accident problem in South Africa.
We offer a free web page, a first free examination of your individual case, a written reply of what we believe you stay right now and what will be the best going forward.
Unfortunately practical RAMLA car accident claim service cannot be free of charge, but still reasonable and affordable priced. You can utilise this professional and most economic offer to facilitate your claim to the convenience of our unique support scheme.
Brief our claim manager on duty with your individual case and inquire about the RAMLA service and cost scheme, if you decide RAMLA is the way to take your matter forward.
RAMLA is of course the way for a successful car accident claim.
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What is important keeping in mind, when you have to look for a potential auto body repair workshop to get your accident damaged motor vehicle back on track?
Right at the begin of the process repairing a damaged motor car, once the scene of the car accident is cleared, and the facts assembled the evidence secured, the focus will be on the vehicle destruction and the costs and affords to be made, getting the car back on the road.
If the damaged motor car will be drivable, commonly the first way will be visiting your local panel beater or auto body repair workshop, in order to get a repair quotation.
Some questions may come along with the task getting the car damages calculated.
What needs to be looked on, having a qualified and reliable quotation?
What should a qualified repair quotation include?
Must I accept used parts for my car crash damage repair?
What can be the consequences of utilizing used car spares for the build up?
Other noticeable things to look on before the order of the vehicle repair job.
What will be the case if I am told my car cannot economically be repaired and called a "write off" or total loss. Must I accept this qualification as total loss (the vehicle will be worth only the scrap value or salvage) or what can I do to rebut such qualification.
Must I wait with the vehicle repair unless the complete case is finalised, or what will be if I like to sell the car without doing the repair job.
Motor Vehicle Accident
We offer the solution in Car Accident matters, analysing, supporting, demanding, corresponding, negotiating, settlement agreements and further taking matters to a court of law in South Africa, if no amicable solution could be found, in pre-litigation, to best favourable conditions in a professional and decisive routine.
Facing challenges with motor car accident issues in South Africa?
RAMLA will be the solution,
demanding compensation, resolving disputes, defending against inflated or unreasonable claims,
in all sectors of vehicle accident damage compensation problems.
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Motor vehicle accidents happens every day on public roads, often causing damages to property
Utilise the affordable professional solutions RAMLA offers clients in South Africa, to solve such repercussions.
We do have the expertise and know how to act for you.
Experience exceptional service, testified by clients, even after hours or weekends, giving you a peace of mind your case is taken care off, no matter what.
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Your specialised legal expert to sort out MVA matters
Professional - competent - swift - decisive and affordable
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Accident Management & Legal Action
First stop solution for a MVA problem
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Caught up in a traffic accident, causing damages to the vehicle and leaving parties with financial losses to repair a damaged vehicle, the damage value or Quantum is a major issue.
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Repair costs or the Quantum of the car accident damage, needs to be calculated and properly documented.
Traffic accident lawyers and professional claim managers to analyse, support and pursue your material car accident claim, professional, effective, convenient and very economical to be affordable, nationwide in South Africa
Repairing the damages to motor vehicles after a car accident is the goal, in all kind of trafic accident compensation actions. Unfortunately most often, the full professional proof of damages - repair costs - stays until up, sometimes the long end of the compensation process, despite it is so crucial to do it correctly.
If time goes by, it will become more and more difficult to proof the damages or Quantum, in the way a Jude or a critical party demanded to compensate, will accept it.
A motorist being the victim in a car accident, want the vehicle repaired, spotless and professional, not losing too much value, as unfortunately any accident repair is deemed to cause depreciation.
Matters as good/bad workmanship, new and factory approved repair parts and fair pricing as well as short duration of repairs, is what the client expects in the first place.
Your specialised expert to sort out MVA matters
Professional - competent - swift - decisive and affordable
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Driving a motor car in public traffic on South African roads, the vehicle must be roadworthy to all times.
The car owner will have the responsibility to maintain the motor car and keep it in a roadworthy condition.
Some motorists believe the car will be roadworthy once been tested in a qualified and certified testing station, having obtained the Road Worthy Certificate; the car is and will be roadworthy.
Unfortunately that is a wrong perception as a motor vehicle being used will be subject to wear and tear, damages or other influences, such as lighting bulbs coming to the end of the live circle and other impacts that can lead the car not to be roadworthy anymore.
The Law however requires an all time roadworthiness of any vehicle when taking into public traffic.
The clear and undoubted obligations are, to look at the vehicle in a critical manner and detect what can be wrong, and to be fixed, as soon as detected, avoiding the vehicle to be regarded to be seen technically not fit for use in traffic.
But even a legitimate car driver, not being the owner of the vehicle; do have some obligations to check out a motor cars technical condition, before hitting the road.
Check your lights, tyres, breaks etc. rather more often, than too less. Insurance companies can take small technical inaccuracies as a reason declining a compensation claim, arguing the motor car has not been roadworthy to the time of the impact, which is a condition in any Insurance Policies terms.
That means, a vehicle may not only be not safe for driving and fit to technical reasons, but even a huge financial risk, if it comes to a car accident compensation claim.
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RAMLA will be your one-stop car accident claim service in South Africa
Mandate RAMLA - Road Accident Management & Legal Action - for successful, convenient and decisive claim enforcement to favourable and affordable fees
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Methods of finding or calculating Damages utilising value schemes
After being involved in a motor car collision, regularly the damages will be analysed and calculated by either repair experts or motor vehicle damage assessors, to find a repair value. The experts check and list all damages, hopefully entirely. Often however even here a problem may start, if critical areas of damages not be stripped, to see behind to find a full damage picture.
Once the damages are analysed, the found destructive parts will be fed into a digital repair calculation scheme, such as i.e. Audatex calculator, or others. The system will take the programmed values, regularly the manufacturers data, to do and display the repairs needed and the according values.
As South African Law limit any compensation to the so called pre-collision value, often ladled as market value, the first check will be, if the repair cost calculated are lower or higher as the market value.
Should it turn out the repair cost exceed the market value, the damaged car will be named a write off, and meaning not economically to be repaired and therefore compensation to market value apply and no repairs will be authorised.
As set out in other parts of the RAMLA car accident info platform, write off situations can be worrisome. The critical aspects are, the true market value, reliability of calculations and the Salvage applicable.
Salvage is the value the damaged car can or cannot be sold to any buyer and that value will be deducted from any pay out, if the car be retained by the owner.
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RAMLA can help clients in all MVA matters to solve problems professionally, claims, disputes (3rd party / comprehensive Insurance cover), review of declines with the Ombudsman (OSTI) and defensive actions against unreasonable or inflated claims, professional - affordable. Contact RAMLA for your support to have a damage claim paid or defenced. Contact
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Auto Dealers value schemes or data for orientation of motor car value listing, isn't the perfect scheme to be used for determination of market value for compensation.
Once it came to a motor car or vehicle accident with damages, the amount of repair cost or Quantum - value of destruction, must be established to find a basis for a compensation action against a deemed liable other party, causing the accident and subsequently liable to pay compensation for repairs.
The South African Law stipulates, that another found fully/100% liable for the cause of the accident must compensate the victim to the amount the car been worth in the state before accident destruction. However it limits the amount of compensation to the market value of the vehicle to the time before the accident, pre-collision value.
That means, should it be found the actual and fair repair cost will exceed what the market will pay for such a vehicle on sale, such will be the maximum of compensation, to avoid another may benefit unduly. So in other words, once the calculated repair cost will exceed what the car will be worth in the marked, it will be called a write off and compensation will be to market or pre-collison value.
The problem is the law do not specify or indicate a method how the market value must be calculated or found out about. This leaves space for interpretation and differences.
In order to find some sort of orientation, the Insurance Industry looked and found schemes for orientation and standardisation. Those schemes applying however are not particularly designed to find a car value in the market. Such particular schemes don't exist and there is non made particularly to find a value for damaged motor vehicles.
In order to find a way to handle such questions, the Auto Dealers Value Schemes were applied and utilised in a modified manner to establish a theoretical market value.
The Auto Dealer Value schemes are designed to give motor car dealerships orientations of the value they may buy a vehicle in, to sell it again. Such Auto Dealer will have to cover costs, pay for needed repairs or improvements to the car and don't forget they need a profit to live on.
The Auto Dealer Value scheme makes some provisions for such, when recommend retail or resell value. But it must be emphasised that not even professional Auto Dealers take those values as a real figure. They do know the market and what they need to look on perhaps better as any scheme.
Motor Car Accident, in South Africa?
Want your car accident damages being paid for and receive your material vehicle accident damage compensation for destructions, suffered in a traffic accident on South African roads?
You are welcome to contact RAMLA to receive free advice after a free accident fact check to determine your position.
Contact RAMLA (Road Accident Management & Legal Action), tell us your Motor Vehicle Accident story, the issues of concern, the problems you detect or face and get a free check and advice how to proceed.
We will check and analyse your individual case and revert to you - most of the time in a short circle of time.
For best results contact us by email initially, give us an idea of the incident, attach one or two pictures of the damages or relevant situation, the extend or value of the damages suffered - if already assessed.
In case of an Insurance claim decline, supply us with a copy of the repudiation letter, of give us the reason for the rejection and name the Insurance Company.
Should you like talking to us (phone contact displayed below), best do that after the initial email briefing, but keep in mind even we need some time to check about your matter first.
Your are very welcome to utilise such valuable absolutely free initial advice*
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| RAMLA can be the solution in MVA matters
Do you know that RAMLA is a specialised expert in handling and enforcing or defending all kind of MVA (motor vehicle accident) matters, pursuing motor car accident compensation claims, Insurance dispute resolutions, for its clients - effective - professional - decisive and resolute, to best and affordable fees.
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As you probably have recognised on our comprehensive web information platform, we do know what we are taking about.
We do invite anyone in South Africa, facing an MVA (motor vehicle accident) problem, to contact us for a first - free - analyse of your particular matter and get initial advice how to proceed.
As a specialist in traffic accident recovery actions, we act for clients/members in the relevant manner, but based on a paid mandate or membership, if a need of practical support arises.
We do offer a free first advice, to determinate your case and give you a direction how and what may be the way forward, in order to build confidence with a potential client.
As professional specialists, in charge of acting in motor accident damage claims in South Africa, we offer a well performing, decisive and demanding claim pursuit, at affordable fees.
It's so easy contacting us by email.
The effective way will be sending an email containing the nature, damage and problems detected. Once sent through to us, we will study the matter and after analysing the facts, we get back to you by email (most commonly within about 3 hours), with the result and advice,
- free of charge.
If you like explaining your problem to our claim manager on duty, you are welcome to contact us by phone for an initial briefing on cell 076 770 3179 (standard rates apply).
For best results: dont't just call, once you took notice of the opportunity!
First think what you like to get accross, best file it as email and call once you got our feedback.
For reasons to convince you not just calling immediately, please follow: how to contact RAMLA successfully.
It will be much more effective; if we do get a briefing of the matter via email, before a telephone call, so we will be prepared answering your questions.
* please note that a practical claim pursuit will not be free of charge and comes with a paid mandate, but at reasonable and affordable fees, however take the chance to get initial free advice.
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Car accident compensation claims for damages, may cause some headache,
in South Africa.
RAMLA can be the solution to sort out MVA problems.
Not everything in a compensation action goes smooth and the way wanted, as we are confronted with numerous possible challenges.
RAMLA a specialised legal expert in material car accident damage claims,
filing, demanding, enforcing compensation actions, supporting disputes in dispute resolution actions, with Motor Insurance Companies, or its Agents, work in Ombudsman's (OSTI) review cases,
or defend a motorist against unreasonable or inflated compensation claims.
Contact RAMLA to analyse your case, and get a free opinion where you stand and what to do next. You can contact RAMLA 7/24 and receive a response soon.
It's so easy, just e mail your story and attach what you got to make the RAMLA claim manager understand your problem.
Just draft a brief report of what had happen and send it (use this mail link) to RAMLA for free analyses and you will receive a reply soon.
Contact us now and let us know how we can help you?
email us your story and details to ramla@ramla.co.za for a free first analyse and advice.
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RAMLA offers full legal support to solve a car accident compensation claim, starting with a comprehensive claim preparation and subsequent legal action to enforce fair compensation or defend against inflated or unrealistic recovery actions, all the way up to a court case, if no solution can be found in pre-litigation.
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Finding the real market value for the recovery claim
Let's be clear here. The real market value is only the one the real market will pay, once checked out against comparative offers to sell or buy, or best offering the damaged car to be sold to someone interested.
The results of such comprehensive check will tell the truth of any market value against any scheme may be applied.
In order to find and proof a real market value of a damaged motor vehicle, the above tasks should be undertaken and certainly documented. Don't go for one offer or check only, take the time and try to get three offers or sell/buy samples. It should be remembered that the party claiming must proof.
In many legal actions in a Court of Law, issue comes only up at the end of an action, when the question of liability is already judged about.
We see too many inquiries directed to us, even by local Attorneys or clients instructed to find and supply the true market value, very late in the process, often ten be We see too many inquiries directed to us, difficult to proof after a long period of time.
Not being able to proof the real damages, will most probably lead to losses, even if the matter may be won in terms of liability.
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RAMLA can help clients in all MVA matters to solve problems professionally, claims, disputes (3rd party / comprehensive Insurance cover), review of declines with the Ombudsman (OSTI) and defensive actions against unreasonable or inflated claims, professional - affordable. Contact RAMLA for your support to have a damage claim paid or defenced. Contact
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Repair quotations can be utislied in determination for the value of distruction to the vehicle, in any recovery action, having a valid Quantum!
In order to have a successful claim for damages, one needs to have a correct claim value and proof that the calculation do not include any other repairs not steming from the particular impact, beeing fair and reasonable.
Addressing any car accident damage compensation action, the matter of the damage value can be a point of dispute.
A repair quotation or alternatively a professional vehicle damage assessment must be complete, fair and reasonable, done by a person in charge with sufficient experience, qualification and knowledge.
The damages claimed, should not be inflated and only include what actually been damages in just this very accident. People out there to make a profit out of a car accident, often will be caught up and left with less instead as more.
Inflated or unrealistic damage listing, will most certainly be disputed by the other party and only cause to hamper the possible smooth process in a claim action.
A good and reliable repair quotation should come with detailed pictures of the damages and depending on the nature of the damage, be stripped in particular areas from covering parts, to see the full damage impact.
Another very important part of a repair quotation or supporting a repair done additional to the repair invoice, should come with an Affidavit stating the workshop repairing, the person quoted, his/her qualifications, experience in the business and testify that all is listed or repaired, be fair and reasonable to professional standards.
Getting this very important and needed certification of the damages, will sometimes be a challenge, as a good number of panel beaters or auto repair workshops, do not very much like provident any such certification, which to be effective should be in the form of an Affidavit.
We strongly suggest not to compromise on getting a proper certification of the repair calculation - Quotation/Assessment -, or rather go to another place of qualified repairs, prepared to do so.
Auto body repair workshops do know, that motorists in need to pursuit a damage compensation action, are sometimes forced to get up to three different quotations, if the other party don't send an own assessor to calculate the damages.
They repairer do know further very well, that only one repair can be done to the damaged vehicle; even if there have been three quotes only one professional get the job.
As repair quotations are still be expected to be delivered free of charge, and therefore examine the damage properly and draft a proper quotation, it's a challenge for the workshop to do the best they can, as time and knowledge is a significant cost factor for them.
Unlocking the full support of a repair partner, it will be of benefit, if the auto body repairer will know and can be relatively certain, to get the repair job, once the funding is sorted.
Therefore we recommend not going for several quotations from different repairers, rather get one good and professional quotation. If anyone disputes the repair calculation, they may be at liberty and have a professional counter vehicle assessment done, verifying the damages claimed for.
But it should be kept in mind that some damage Assessment/Quotation can indeed be wrong, lacking professionalism, or being unrealistic, inflated or even fall short to list all necessary for proper repair.
A damage assessment performed by an insurance Assessor, is even not always correct, or not automatically more correct as the one, done by an experienced auto damage repair expert.
Some damage evaluations, especially those in order of motor insurance companies, may have a tendency to "drop down or downscale" the extend of damages.
Therefore we do recommend always to have a repair assessment and quotation done, before allowing any other party to make own calculation, to have a basis to compare. Damage calculations should not differ too much, as damages assessed are the same and only some factors would be appropriate to differ.
Submit your accident documentation for initial review by RAMLA claim service, and receive comments and recommendations, absolutely free.
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What you should look on when choosing your repairer, to sort out your car accident repair
Mandate RAMLA - Road Accident Management & Legal Action - for successful, convenient and decisive claim enforcement to favourable and affordable fees
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Repair costs must be proven as reasonable and fair, if matters need to go to a court of law for decision or even supporting an Insurance claim demand action
If matters of motor car accident compensation end up in a dispute, which cannot be solved in pre-litigation (before approaching a court of law), the Quantum of vehicle damages (financial repair value) must be proven as to be reasonable and fair. Such proof should be done by repair/assessment Expert certification made either as Affidavit or by testifying in Court.
It will often be neglected to look on such proof to the right time, together with a damage calculation, in an early stage of a claim, in support of the damages assessed.
In a good number of cases the challenge to prove reasonableness and fair costs only comes to the fore, in the late stage of a compensation action, perhaps at the end of a suit in a Court of Law, whereby the process initiating and pursuing the claim will take even a long period of time.
That implies, it will be almost certainly be difficult to proof vehicle damages as requested, after a long term period, if not care had been taken about such crucial evidence, at an early stage.
In the absence of a proper certification of fair and reasonable damages, the court will not just accept some repair quotations, as the basis to proof reasonable and fair repair costs. It will at least require an invoice including proof of payment, to accept such as basis or factor for a ruling.
A privately repaired car accident damage will have little chance to be awarded what a professional workshop would have charged, unless there will be proper upfront damage assessment and certified proof of reasonable and fair repair value.
Once a vehicle is not repaired, to the time the judgement, and no qualified proof of damages supplied, a severe risk is apparent, or the damages needed to be assessed now.
A sufficient proof can be a proper assessment report, or a detailed repair quotation, accompanied with detailed photographs of the damages and an expert testimony about the fact, the costs are fair and reasonable. Such certification should even testify that only damages are listed, that stem from the particular impact. That may be a challenge after such a long time.
Approved auto damage repair workshop and utilisation of suitable repair parts
As car owner certainly you do want having a proper and professional damage repair, so the damaged car will be repaired appropriate and to producer factory standards, with at least certified reproduction parts or genuine factory manufactured once and not with used parts, probably gotten from a scrap yard.
To be an approved repair workshop the business needs to fulfil a certain level of professionalism and have taken suitable training in appropriate training facilities and proven to be knowledgably in repair standards of a particular make of motor cars.
The standard is set by the manufacturer and the training courses offered by them throughout specialised trainers and will provide practical work experience during training. This should ensure that workers completed such training will know what they do.
Manufacturers certified repair workshops, will display the certificate somewhere visible in the offices. Such certified workshop will be able to adhere to all requirements of repairs and further match the recommended time frame and efforts to do the repairs properly and on a calculate able basis.
Unchecked used parts, as sometimes offered by motor insurance companies for repairs, are not considerable at all, before been professionally examined and tested to be functionally and reliable, before fitting it to the vehicle. But even then it will not be advisable, unless there is no other choice.
A motorist involved in a car accident, but not liable for damages, does not need accepting utilising used parts, even if tested as suggested. Only comprehensive insured, in some instances need accepting such used parts, as to the concluded terms and conditions of the insurance policy. If the policy allow the repairs done with after-market or used parts, it's a contractual obligation and needs to be abided to.
Factory approved workshops will guarantee best workmanship, to factory given repair instructions and time and cost regulations, for specified repair procedures, having the right and appropriate tools and parts and stuff sufficiently trained for the repair job.
Repairs should ensure, that the repaired motor vehicle will be in the state as it had been, before the car accident happened, when collecting the automobile.
Before any repair should take place, full damage examination must be completed and the subsequent drafted repair quotation or damage report, should or better must, list all and everything that must be done, to have your damaged car professionally repaired and serving to define the Quantum or damage value for the legal compensation claim.
All vehicle damage repairs should be done to manufacturer's standards. Improper repairs will be detrimental to the cars value and safety, or even making your damaged car un-roadworthy, meaning that it cannot be driven safely, or not being allowed to use in public traffic.
Driving a not roadworthy motor vehicle and then involved in a traffic accident, may lead to liabilities, even if another caused the impact.
Always keep in mind, that a car participating in public traffic which will not be in roadworthy condition, is a prima face risk to other vehicles on the road. Not roadworthy or badly repaired vehicles, can also be a reason for motor insurance cover, being declined.
Don't compromise with any accident damage repair, just to save some expenses. The risk of subsequent danger is much higher and may by far exceed the savings in repair costs.
Audatex repair calculation system
Repair calculation Systems, such as Audatex, are professional developed schemes based on manufacturers information and specifications, in order to build a correct priced and itemed repair cost estimate and list necessary work to be done to get a vehicle back to roadworthy and properly repaired conditions.
The scheme itself is more or less free of flaws. The problem as always is the part the human expert is concerned. The expert's knowledge and care is the key risk component. Should the scheme be fed incorrect, the results are incorrect.
It is a challenge, if not impossible for most victims of car accident damages, to verify any such calculation, unless some obvious not damaged parts are listed to be repaired.
Some indicators of accuracy can be if ie items as badges, number plate shields, lamp or glass be listed that are obviously - according to the damage pictures - are not damaged and can be refitted without hassle or losses of value.
Once such may be detected, more faults should be suspected. Such assessment/repair report should not be accepted and be challenged.
However it is safe to say, that the overwhelmingly most reports are correct, at least to an acceptable level.
What about to look on when choosing your repairer.
On route to look for a professional, experienced and quality devoted auto body repairer, but still have a compatible and reasonable repair bill, will be the challenge for those, don't have a long term repair partner to turn to.
Finding the very lowest repair offer, should not be the very first priority, when choosing a qualified auto repairer.
The very first priority should be: full professional car accident repair work and no risk in effective repair costs spent, not to be unreasonable or not fair, but sufficient to repair the vehicle professional and to manufacturers standards, best done in a factory approved workhsop.
Effective repair costs, should not overshooting the quotation and should give support about the reasonable and fair repair costs, before disputes about repair calculations arise.
In need finding someone suitable repairing the car accident damages, one of the essentials will be, the workshop is qualified and well equipped, trained on your make and type of car, to do a proper accident repair job, but still to reasonable and comparable financial conditions, generally accepted in the auto motive repair sector.
Inflated labour costs, or adding older damages, will most certainly trigger disputes. It is highly recommended not taking chances, as it may become a burden instead of a bargain.
When it comes to car accident damage repairs, for which the liable party must compensate, there is little need to compromise, as the liable party or his/her motor insurer, must accept fair repair costs, as long as damage repair will be economically viable, and not exceed the market value the motor car has been worth, in the state before impact, beeing the pre-collision value.
Compromises can be made, as long as the safety and roadworthiness of the motor vehicle isn't in jeopardy, if damages for repair must be paid out of your own pocket, or requires substantial own contribution, as to apportioning of damages or any other implications.
It must however be taken into account, that any improper repair will negatively affect and drop down, the actual market value of the vehicle or even compromise safety and/or roadworthy, after repairs.
Getting the motor vehicle, back on the road and safe to drive, is key. Compromise may be acceptable in optical, spray paint matters, but not in rebuilding the structure of the damaged motor car.
The second important issue, is the certification of those repairs invoiced or quoted for, been reasonable and fair. It should not be underestimated to have such certification for repair costs and that should best already be to the early time of repair cost calculation, accompanies a repair quotation.
It is known that a number of workshops don't like to do so, without good reason, by just fearing to be involved in claim procedures, perhaps to participate in Court as expert witness. The repair workshops don't like to be involved in such proceedings, understandable, but sometimes unavoidable to get a fair compensation.
If a party must rely on a claim against another party, to be paid for damages, insured or not, such certification can make or break a claim value.
Therefore it is crucial to make sure getting such certification in a proper form, before a quotation is requested or repair to be ordered. It is strongly recommended to listen to this crucial advice seriously, avoiding problems in a claim action.
One problem may well be, tat parties do not know about the essential of it and may only read this when it is too late. The only way out may be an independent vehicle damage assessment, wit costs, but with the certainty the assessor will support any action and the assessor testify as expert.
Regularly the repair cost must be funded, before the repairer can start working
Auto accident damage repair costs are regularly not cheap and often turn out higher as expected or even quoted for. That may have several reasons, but commonly not all damages could be seen and calculated, before stripping the vehicle for repairs.
The repair workshop does have a legal right to retain the vehicle as long a payment is made in full.
Such retention of a repaired motor car cannot only be uncomfortable as to be prohibited to use the auto, but may trigger additional costs, such as interest to a high rate and perhaps even extra storage costs, from R 350 upwards a day.
Many motorists being a victim of a car accident, must claim for the financial damage compensation, before repair can be authorised.
Often such damage compensation payment needs to be demanded and enforced, even sometimes by taking legal actions in a court of law, if no sufficient settlement can be found before, in pre-litigation.
A claim for compensation of motor car traffic accident damage, isn't always as easy and quick as thought.
A number of challenges and requirements must be met, of which a proper quantum (repair costs and probably other consequential damages) is only one of it.
Once a full claim for demand and enforcment of vehicle damage compensation is at stake, a full process of demand needs to be gone through.
In many cases its can be advisable to make use of professional claim support, offered by the legal profession and even better to make use of specialised motor vehicle damage compensation experts, such as RAMLA (Road Accident Management & Legal Action) in South Africa.
RAMLA offers client tailored service solution, to very acceptable and reasonable fees, capped in costs to just one once off payment, but not limited on actions been taken to get the compensation demanded and paid, regardless if a case is very difficult or even smoothly sorted out.
Should there be a need to claim for compensation, there are several different sections how to deal with a demand.
More information can be obtained to issues as it may be a claim directed to a 3rd party directly, or being
a claim against a 3rd party represented by a motor insurance company, or even a claim against own comprehensive insurance cover.
Following the applicable link above, should give a claimant or a defendant more in lighting of the process and challenges.
Submit your accident documentation for initial review by RAMLA claim service, and receive comments and recommendations, absolutely free.
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Your panel beater or repair partner should support your car accident claim as expert witnesses!
Mandate RAMLA - Road Accident Management & Legal Action - for successful, convenient and decisive claim enforcement to favourable and affordable fees
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Your panel beater or repair partner should support a customer in disputes about repair costs.
Once motor car accident damages are documented properly and it still comes to a dispute about the costs being reasonable and fair, the repairer should support your car accident claim as technical expert witnesses, if disputes over the amount of damages or repair need can't be resolved, and the estimate may differ from a vehicle damage assessment, the other party has undertaken, or the car accident compensation claim must be pursued in a court of law.
There may well be a need for an expert witness, to underline and prove the technical details and the damage claimed for, in support of a claim action.
Expert witnesses serve to prove disputed facts. They may also be necessary to support a rebuttal of an insurance damage assessment, which leads to a negative or insufficient offer to compensate for the car accident damage.
A sufficient experienced panel beater or other suitable expert craftsmen in the auto repair industry can be an expert witness.
Unfortunately a number of workshop owners or managers, do not like it very much, investing time and effort in such support, as they know about time consuming and ineffective court procedures in South Africa. An alternative can be appointing an independent vehicle damage assessor.
Utilising a qualified damage assessor, in the first place, to quantify the damages is preferable, once a certain significant damage value or other troubling impacts can be expected, perhaps leading to a dispute. Professional motor assessors are better qualified and do have the experience in disputes about damages, so they can be of great help in finding a solution.
If matters eventually need to be heard in a court of law, as no other preferable settlement could be reached in pre-litigation, a motor assessor will be most commonly a better and more prepared expert witness, presenting the matter in a hearing.
Panel beater's and auto body repair workshops do know the vehicle damage assessors, regularly visiting the place to check client damages. They may be perfectly able to recommend a qualified assessor in the area to take care of the matter.
It will therefore be good for a customer, making sure if there will be support from the repair expert, before finally make a decision about the workshop that should do the repair.
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RAMLA - Road Accident Management and Legal Action - is one of South Africa's most experienced and decisive advocates to sort out legal disputes with parties, Insurance companies or act in defence of clients confronted with unreasonable or inflated claims.
Car accident issues that matters most:
We are legal specialist in motor car accident damage recovery matters and offer our services to those suffering damages or in need to defend unreasonable or inflated claims.
Taking on disputes with motor insurance companies, engage in unfair declines or apportionment of damages, take matter on review to the Ombudsman, or even get matters to be judged in a court of law, should all fail to find a solution before the escalation to a court of law is inevitable.
RAMLA can get you through the trouble, for just some affordable fees, commonly just equal or lower then towing/storage cost may be.
We are one of the most experienced, decisive advocates, when it comes to car accident problems - issues of compensation or defence against unreasonable or inflated claims, bad repair practice and much more.
We work only on those motor car accident matters.
Check us out, so you do know if we can uphold we say, free of charge.
Welcome to RAMLA
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How going forward once there is a claim or dispute or other challenges?
Well, once someone checks a web site as this one RAMLA presents, there will be some sort of a problem.
It may either be that there is no response from the liable party's Insurer or a repudiation, apportioning or any other decline, such as to violation of terms and conditions.
Lot of those issues may not be according to valid law, and just a reaction of someone in charge don't care, not having the necessary skills or just follow a strategy to get rid of valid claims, should not be accepted.
RAMLA as a specialised legal expert can solve such problems, just for a fraction in fees what you may miss out, if you don't have the right support. It should not be the correct way and get a claimant just been brushed away, isn't it?
Just take the time and contact, tell us about the matter and let us take care of it.
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Defence against unreasonable or inflated claims?
RAMLA can help you most effectively to get a claim dropped or eased.
The results defending someone against whatever claim, if it isn't as clear what the implications are and what evidence the other party/Insurance do have, are very good to stand through, even if a summons may be served.
The party alleges or accuses is forced to proof the claim and not the demanded party.
Many Insurance recovery claims fall short of such reliable evidence and therefore can be repudiated, even if it comes from attorneys or recovery agents.
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However we do handle every substantial MVA claim,
against whatever party, Insurance, reluctant party or company successfully, given the merits of the issue are clear and stand a challenge.
Should it not be so in the first place, we do all we can to improve such merits to get the matter being a strong case.
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Chances of success, if there is a strong case, and any other winning guarantees?
Those are questions we hear frequently, before a new client is prepared to accept some fees.
But telling the truth, chances of success are entirely based on facts and evidence in every particular case and there cannot be any guarantee being better as proof and evidence.
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You want to visit a local RAMLA office in your area and have a chat with one of our experts?
We are very sorry telling you, that we have chosen a different way of performing our business. In order to hold overhead costs low, and not compromise on expertise, we have decided to act from one central, but not public office in the Western Cape.
In order to hold fees low and offer very competitive rates compared with other legal services, we decided to concentrate intelligence and contain costs in this manner.
Anyone who likes to visit his/her adviser or attorney should not choose RAMLA as a favourite as we cannot honour just that.
But we can deliver the way we operate effectively wherever you are in South Africa and with whom ever we have to deal, effectively, decisive and affordable.
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What about fees, must they be paid upfront or can it be deducted from recoveries?
Let me answer the question in short.
Yes, all fees need to be paid up before we take action.
Why is that so?
Our fees are as competitive low, that we cannot enforce any such fees economically, if someone just take our services and thereafter give us hassles to pay.
Any local attorney will do the same, as asking for a deposit, commonly far higher than our entire fees are, upfront.
In general those deposits are offset against fee notes and further deposits requested in due course.
We dont do that. We deliver services not billed on time issues, but on performance phases, which gives cost certainty and the assurance to be taken care of the full matter.
Contact us to get more detailed information.
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Any doubts about our capabilities or performance as this offer is an anonymous one on the web?
Well I must accept such doubts and can only point out and rely on the many we served before and who may be contactable for reference.
Check out what we display on our comprehensive web pages, which will back up our knowledge and experience without a doubt.
Anyhow we will never accept a mandate before we have had a first free analyse of your particular matter and if you aren't satisfied with our reply, simply don't go on with us, despite it may be detrimental to you.
We value a fair and open informative strategy that will please most of those with an open mind to new technologies as email etc.
But we can only do what we offer and if you aren't happy with such offer, just get into contact with your local lawyer.
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Should you have been through all the before . . .
and still think we can be the one to solve your motor vehicle accident compensation problem in South Africa, just get in contact with us.
You're welcome to be served perfectly.
Kind Regards
Your RAMLA team
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Nationwide Claim Service
SMS RAMLA to 076 770 3179
and let us know the problem, or much better send an e-mail to:
ramla@ramla.co.za
RAMLA Expert Partnership
Become a local partner of our Nationwide Network of experts in adjacent industries, such as:
Legal profession
Panel beater or auto
body repair workshops
Independent vehicle
damage assessors
enhancing mutual business at no cost to either side.
Please follow the link to the industry above to learn more about the offer.
SMS "network" your name and industry, place of business to 076 770 3179
and we call you, or send to
e-mail info@ramla.co.za
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