title: Financial compensation following road traffic injury: who is footing the bill?
abstract: A study was undertaken at Red Cross Children's Hospital to assess how aware parents were of motor vehicle accident (MVA) claim procedures on behalf of their children. Of 160 questionnaires sent out to the parents of road traffic injury (RTI) victims, 100 were answered. Sixty-six per cent of parents who responded had an income below R500 per month. The identity of the motorist responsible for injuring the child was known to only 26 parents. Third party damages were claimed by only 32 parents or guardians; the remaining 68 failed to do so principally through lack of awareness. The implications of these findings for both RTI victims and the hospitals where they are treated are discussed here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Grobbelaar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albertyn
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bass
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005381:Financing, Organized; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007341:Insurance; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires