A head-on collision has left Thuli Roberts* of Nigel frequently feeling like her face is on fire, or rough like sandpaper. This waitress may never have normal sensation in her face again, but de Broglio Attorneys have obtained a R500 000 award from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to mitigate her misery.
On 20 November 2006, Thuli, 34, was a passenger in a car that was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle on the Balfour Road.
The accident caused her to suffer a head injury as well as severe cuts to her face. She subsequently returned to her job at a fast-food restaurant but found that she battled to remember orders, in addition to being embarrassed about her lacerated face.
Feeling self-conscious about how customers would stare at her scars, she resigned soon afterwards. After a while, she decided to try working at another eatery – but resigned again after a few months for the same reasons.
Thuli enlisted the services of de Broglio Inc to lodge a claim with the RAF. She reported continuing to feel abnormal facial sensations long after the accident – her face would feel strange, and the burning feeling was sometimes unbearable. In addition, she was often tearful and melancholy, and experienced feelings of depression.
The RAF settled her claim for R499 999, which will offer this victim some compensation and enable her to go for psychiatric treatment to boost her self-esteem and face the outside world with confidence again, even though she may bear the physical scars from the accident for life.
*Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality
