Hairdresser wins R2.67 million RAF payout after losing two fingers

Mpumalanga hairdresser awarded R2.67 million after losing two fingers in crash.

The Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela has ordered the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to pay a hairdresser who lost two fingers in a crash more than R2.67 million for past and future loss of earnings.

Acting Judge TS Ngwenya found that the woman's injuries had significantly affected her ability to work.

Prudence Dibakoane was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a collision with another vehicle in March 2022 in White River, Mpumalanga.

RAF conceded 100% liability for the accident, meaning the dispute before the court was limited to the extent of Prudence's past and future loss of earnings.

Dibakoane told the court that she was admitted to Kiaat Hospital after the accident and that her right middle and ring fingers were amputated.

She was working as a hairdresser at Split-ends salon when the accident occurred and said she was unable to work for about a year afterwards.

Before the accident, she said she earned about R6,200 a month. When she returned to the salon, her earnings dropped to about R3,200 a month.

She later became self-employed and started working from a salon in White River, where she rented a chair. She initially earned about R9,800, although her income subsequently declined to about R8,000.

Dibakoane told the court that her injuries had slowed her down and that she could no longer perform some hairstyles.

RAF challenged aspects of Dibakoane's evidence, including the lack of conventional employment records such as payslips and tax or UIF registration.

She explained that part of her income had been paid into her bank account while the remainder was received in cash.

Judge Ngwenya found that the absence of documentary proof for all of her income did not mean that her claim should fail.

The judge noted that Dibakoane worked in the informal hairdressing sector and that it was not seriously disputed that she received some income in cash.