A young security guard who sustained brain damage in a car accident has secured over R1-million in compensation from the Road Accident Fund, thanks to his attorneys at de Broglio Inc.
It is sad and ironic that while it is Marius van Niekerk’s* job to secure cash-in-transit vehicles, his fellow road users ended up proving more dangerous to him than the ATM robbers he has to look out for on a daily basis.
Marius was only 23 years of age in May 2007, when the car in which he was a passenger was involved in a collision between Vasfontein and Petronella in the Pretoria area.
He sustained a severe brain injury, including leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, in the crash. As if that weren’t enough, his other injuries included fractured facial bones, severe cuts to his head and face, whiplash, a fractured left wrist, severe abdominal injuries and a back injury.
Despite his extensive injuries, Marius returned to his work as an SPV guard several months after the accident – but is finding it difficult to carry out his duties as effectively as before.
This is because the lingering effects of the accident have resulted in him experiencing discomfort when wearing a bullet-proof vest, which weighs 14kg. Furthermore, carrying heavy bags of money from an ATM to the armoured vehicle has proved difficult.
It would appear that his compromised physical abilities may seriously affect his ability to hold on to his current job and to find similar work in the future.
He enlisted the services of de Broglio Inc to handle his claim against the RAF, and the case was settled for R1 150 000. “I’m very happy with the service I received from de Broglio Attorneys,” said Marius after the finalisation of his case. “I’m also very pleased with the settlement amount.”
*Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
