Case Law[2024] ZAKZDHC 37South Africa
T.P.N v Road Accident Fund (11807/2017) [2024] ZAKZDHC 37 (11 June 2024)
Judgment
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# South Africa: Kwazulu-Natal High Court, Durban
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## T.P.N v Road Accident Fund (11807/2017) [2024] ZAKZDHC 37 (11 June 2024)
T.P.N v Road Accident Fund (11807/2017) [2024] ZAKZDHC 37 (11 June 2024)
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sino date 11 June 2024
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
KWAZULU-NATAL LOCAL
DIVISION, DURBAN
CASE NO: 11807/2017
In the matter between:
T P
N[...]
PLAINTIFF
and
ROAD ACCIDENT
FUND
DEFENDANT
ORDER
The
following order is issued:
1.
The
defendant
is
directed
to
pay
the
plaintiff
the
sum
of
R850
000
as
general damages.
2.
The defendant is directed to pay the costs
occasioned by counsel’s appearance on 30 April 2024 to argue
the aspect of general
damages on scale “B”.
JUDGMENT
# Henriques J
Henriques J
Introduction
[1]
The only two issues which this court was
required to determine at the trial
were:
(a) the amount of general
damages to award to the plaintiff in respect of her minor son,
M[...], arising out of injuries he sustained
in a motor vehicle
collision which occurred on 14 October 2015; and (b) the scale to be
applied in respect of counsel’s fee
on brief, since the
commencement of the new tariff was effective from 12 April 2024. At
the trial, no evidence was presented and
the parties argued the
matter having regard only to the reports of the orthopaedic surgeon,
Dr Reddy, the occupational therapists,
and the case authorities.
# Background
Background
[2]
It is common cause that M[...] suffered
serious orthopaedic injuries as a consequence of the accident.
Although reference is made
to a minor head injury in the reports, the
parties agreed at the outset that there was no head injury, despite
the fact that both
the occupational therapists and the industrial
psychologists took this into account in postulating the post-morbid
loss of earnings.
[3]
M[...] sustained a degloving injury to the
left lower limb, with Salter-Harris
type
II distal and fibula fractures, which required various skin graft
procedures and a K- wire fixation. Having regard to the initial
report of the orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Reddy, M[...] was a pedestrian
and approximately three and a half years old at the time of
the motor
vehicle collision. He was treated at Amouti Clinic and thereafter
transferred to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH).
At MGMH, he
was noted to have severe degloving injuries to the left lower limb
and the major injury was to his left lower limb,
with the entire leg
and foot degloved and the tibia bone being exposed. He had abrasions
to the right lower limb over the toes
as well as abrasions to his
left elbow.
[4]
He was thereafter transferred to Addington
Hospital and, on 15 October 2015, taken
to
theatre
for
major
wound
debridement
and
fracture
stabilisation.
He
required repeated dressings. He was
thereafter transferred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital
(IALCH) with a referral to
the plastic surgeon who performed a
localised soleus flap to cover the exposed bone and a split skin
graft was taken from his thigh.
The
donor
site for all his skin grafts was his right thigh.
[5]
After his treatment at IALCH, he was then
referred back to MGMH on 27 October 2015 for further treatment. On 5
December 2015, the
suture clips and K-wires in the left leg were
removed and, on 9 December 2015, he was discharged. Every two to
three days, he attended
regular follow-up visits at the wound clinic
at MGMH. On 12 December 2016, he experienced swelling in his leg and
was given compression
stockings. He maintained his regular follow-up
visits and during September 2017, it was noted that he had eversion
deformities
and a specialised orthosis for his left lower limb was
required.
[6]
In the initial report which Dr Reddy
completed on 24 October 2017, he noted that M[...]’s leg had
healed with severe disfigurement,
leg length discrepancy, atrophy of
the lower limb, and foot and scar contractures. He opined that M[...]
would require specialised
orthosis on a lifelong basis and corrective
surgery for scar contractures. He noted that the donor site on his
right thigh presented
with large hypertrophic scar complications,
with recurrent symptoms over the donor site.
[7]
On 9 March 2023, Dr Reddy updated his
initial report and noted that in June 2019, M[...] underwent further
surgical procedures at
IALCH, which included a left distal fibula
epiphysiodesis and the distal tibia supra-malleolar valgising
osteotomy was fixed with
K-wires and placed in a plaster cast. On 2
August 2019, the K-wires were removed and a new plaster cast was
applied. He attended
regular follow-up visits at a clinic. He
complained of difficulty in removing his pants due to stiffness to
the left ankle and
foot, used specialised boots, and preferred
wearing soft shoes to accommodate the pain and discomfort. He
complained of pain during
cold weather and indicated that he was
being teased by his peers with regard to the multiple scars on his
left lower limb, and
preferred wearing long pants to cover the
disfiguring scars.
[8]
Dr Reddy noted significant scarring over
the left lower limb, affecting his left leg and foot, as well as
scars below his left knee,
across his left leg, and on the dorsal
medial aspect of his left foot. The donor site scars were present on
his right thigh, covering
an area of 24cm by 27cm. He noted that
M[...] was independent for all personal functions and enjoyed playing
soccer on the school
grounds. He continued to have leg length
discrepancy in the left ankle and foot stiffness, and commented that
a final leg length
discrepancy can be reviewed when M[...] reaches 16
to 18 years, as he considered that he would have reached the end of
his growth
spurt, although M[...] is likely to have leg length
discrepancy on a lifelong basis. He indicated that he was susceptible
to significant
back pain symptoms due to the leg length discrepancy.
[9]
X-rays performed on 9 March 2023 revealed
deformity of the distal tibial metaphysis, with sclerosis and areas
of lucency consistent
with the history of a previous fracture. There
was a bony fusion between the talus and distal tibial metaphysis,
with loss of the
intervening joint space and ankle mortise. The mid
to proximal tibial and fibula shafts were normal in appearance. There
was a
shortening of the first metatarsal and hallux. The metatarsals,
phalanges, and remaining tarsal bones had a normal appearance. There
was significant soft tissue swelling in relation to the distal leg
and ankle, more marked medially and a surgical clip within the
soft
tissues.
[10]
The occupational therapists noted, on
examination, that M[...] had an
absence
of left ankle joint motion, reduced left lower limb muscle strength,
impaired dynamic balance, a leg length discrepancy
of approximately
4cm, and difficulty carrying moderate to heavy objects. M[...] could
not take on a squatting position. He had
reduced standing and walking
tolerance, and complained of difficulty in taking off his pants due
to stiffness of the left ankle
and foot. He used specialised boots
and preferred wearing soft shoes to accommodate the pain and
discomfort. He also complained
of pain during cold weather.
[11]
M[...] reported that he was being teased by
his peers with regard to the multiple scars on the lower limb and had
a 4cm leg length
discrepancy, which had not been accommodated by any
prosthesis. It is common cause that M[...] had
sustained some scarring to his head,
although this is not as significant and noticeable
as the scarring and degloving injury to his
right leg. It is accepted that he also complained of pain in his hip,
as due to the
leg length discrepancy and the fact that he has not
been fitted with a boot, he over-compensates for this and is
experiencing pain
in the hip area.
[12]
In a joint minute dated 4 January 2024, the
occupational therapists noted that there was significant scarring to
his head, chest,
as well as the right and left upper
limbs, and extensive scarring to the right
and left lower limbs, which is the source of significant
disfigurement. There was a full
range of movement of his left hip and
left knee, with no active movement of the left ankle on dorsiflexion.
The foot is smaller
than the right one, when measured from the heel
to the base of the middle of the second toe, and there is a fixed
extension deformity
of the left big toe. Muscle strength was reduced
in the left hip and left knee musculature and there was no observable
muscle strength
action in the left ankle and left foot musculature.
[13]
There was an indication of muscle wasting
of his left thigh and distal leg, oedema of the left ankle, and
shortening on the left
lower limb. Dynamic balance was impaired
on the left side and he experienced
difficulty lifting and carrying medium to heavy weighted objects. He
was able to assume a kneeling
standing position, although he was
unable to assume a squatting position and experienced difficulty with
stair negotiation. His
standing and walking tolerances were impaired
and sitting tolerance was functional. His endurance was impaired when
engaging in
physically demanding and strenuous tasks.
[14]
He presented with residual pain and
physical deficits attributable to his orthopaedic and degloving
injuries. Although both the
occupational therapists and industrial
psychologists opined on a head injury, Ms Naidu who appeared for the
plaintiff,
acknowledged
that
there
was
no
head
injury
diagnosed
at
the
time
of
the
collision but despite this, it had been taken into consideration in
the calculation of loss of earning capacity.
[15]
I was provided with ten photographs of the
graft site on his right thigh, depicting the donor site and the
scarring, as well as
photographs depicting the serious degloving
injuries to his left leg and ankle.
# Damages
Damages
[16]
With reference to a number of decisions, Ms
Naidu submitted that an amount of R1.2 million for general damages
was appropriate,
whereas Ms Govender, who appeared for the defendant,
submitted that an amount of R500 000 was an appropriate award.
[17]
The
purpose of an award of general damages is to compensate a victim for
all
the
pain, suffering, shock, and discomfort suffered as a result of a
wrongful act. In
Southern
Insurance Association Ltd v Bailey NO,
[1]
Nicholas
JA held that the courts have not adopted a ‘functional’
determination as to how general damages should be awarded
and have
consistently preferred a flexible approach, determined by the
broadest general considerations, depending on what is fair
in all the
circumstances of the case.
[18]
I
propose to consider the authorities I was referred to during
argument. The first was that of
Mashigo
v Road Accident Fund
,
[2]
in
which the plaintiff had sustained serious burn wounds as a result of
the hot exhaust pipe of a motor vehicle pressing down on
her. As a
consequence of these extensive burn wounds, the plaintiff sustained
significant scarring. The plastic and reconstructive
surgeon
indicated that she would require remedial medical intervention and
reconstructive surgery in respect of the disfiguring
scars to her
left and right breasts as well as hyper pigmentation.
[19]
It was undisputed that the plaintiff could
not carry her baby for long periods of time due to arm pain and lower
back discomfort,
her sleep was interrupted by pain around her ribs,
and she was unable to breastfeed her first child due to the pain of
the scar
tissue on both her breasts. Her style of clothing changed to
cover all the scars on her arms and breasts.
[20]
In arriving at an appropriate award, Davis
J considered the pain and suffering which the plaintiff sustained at
the time of the
injuries, the pain and suffering she would experience
during subsequent reconstructive surgery, and the unsightly scars
that the
plaintiff had to live with since the accident until
reconstructive surgery. He took into consideration that the plaintiff
may remain
with permanent scarring but what weighed heavily with him
was the minor orthopaedic injuries which she had suffered. He thus
arrived
at an amount of R450 000 as an award for general damages
which in the main related
to
the
scarring.
Ms
Naiduadvised
that
the
current
value
of
the
award
is
R607 500.
[21]
In
Methule
obo Minor v Road Accident Fund
[3]
the
minor child, who was 7 years old at the time of the injury, sustained
a minor concussive head injury, a soft tissue
injury
to his right knee, multiple disfiguring lacerations and scarring to
the right leg, left hand, right wrist, left and right
eyebrows, and
neuropsychological sequela. The major significant injury was that of
severe scarring. The court used
Phasha
[4]
and
Mashigo
as
guides in determining an award of R500 000 (with the current value
being R564 000) for general damages as a consequence of the
injuries
as well as the severe scarring.
[22]
In
Nyawose
v Road Accident Fund
[5]
the
plaintiff sustained a serious ankle
fracture
when he was 20 years old and was hospitalised for a period of 16
days. He was diagnosed with fractures of the right distal
tibia and
fibula. He sustained no scarring but had difficulty walking and his
standing tolerance was limited. He was awarded R500
000 for his
orthopaedic injuries.
[23]
In
Masemola
v Road Accident Fund,
[6]
the
plaintiff sustained orthopaedic injuries in the form of a left tibial
plateau fracture and was treated with an open reduction
and internal
fixation. She suffered an incisional scar on the lateral side of her
knee which was painful and had restricted flexion.
She also sustained
a mild head injury. She did not sustain any scarring. The plaintiff
would require a total knee replacement,
given the degeneration of her
knee and as a consequence, would suffer permanent pain. An award of
R1.2 million was made given the
neurocognitive and neuropsychological
disturbances and post concussive symptoms. The head injury was deemed
to be the main basis
for the award.
[24]
Ms
Govender referred to certain cases to justify her submissions and to
support her instructions that an award of R500 000 as general
damages
was more appropriate. The first case she relied on was that of
Ncubu
v National Employers' General Insurance Co Ltd
.
[7]
The
plaintiff was a pedestrian who was four years old at the time of the
injury and whose left lower leg was completely crushed
and
traumatically amputated. There was an open wound, exposing the bone,
the soft tissue was deeply ingrained with dirt and the
tissue and
nerves of his right ankle were exposed. He underwent an amputation of
the left lower leg a couple of centimetres below
his knee, his wounds
were cleaned and debrided, and he had to undergo four operations for
the building of his stump and repeated
hospitalisations for the
changing of dressings.
[25]
The donor site for skin grafts was his
right thigh. He was fitted for a prosthesis and, on a number of
occasions, suffered from
ulcers on his left knee and had to have an
adjustment of the prosthesis. It was anticipated that he would
undergo a number of revision
operations for his stump because of his
age. There was serious disfigurement, the
loss
of
a
limb,
and
extensive
scarring
on
both
lower
limbs,
both
at
the
donor
and
recipient sites. The current value of the award is R694 000.
[26]
In
Rieder
v Road Accident Fund
[8]
in
which the plaintiff was 43 years old at the time of the injury and
suffered a fracture to the right tibia, a right tibial plateau
fracture and an adult ankle fracture. He had to have a fixation of
the tibial plateau and ankle fractures with plate and screws,
suffered from infection and had to go for repeated procedures to the
wound area which required plastic surgery with the application
of
skin grafts. The knee movement was somewhat restricted and he would
require knee replacement surgery in the future. There was
damage to
his peroneal nerve resulting in him being unable to flex his right
foot and he suffered from drop foot syndrome of the
right foot. He
was awarded an amount of R400 000 in 2011, with the current day value
of R583 000.
[27]
In
Sotyelelwa
v Union and South West Africa Insurance Co Ltd
[9]
the
plaintiff who was a martial arts instructor, was injured at 41 and
suffered a right comminuted fracture of the tibia, displacement
of
the fibula and lacerations. He was hospitalised for 224 days and went
through a number of operations to set the compound fracture,
had a
Steinmann pin inserted, a stirrup for traction and another Steinmann
pin to the femur.
He
had two plaster casts placed on his foot and subsequently suffered a
serious infection which resulted in a gangrenous foot and
had to
undergo surgery for the amputation thereof. He was awarded an amount
with a current day value of R627 000.
[28]
In
Alexander
v Road Accident Fund
[10]
the
plaintiff, a pedestrian was 61 years old at the time of the injury
suffered a fracture of the tibial plateau, a fracture of
the toes and
sustained spinal injuries which resulted in a compression fracture.
She suffered pain
and
was mobilised on crutches for an excess period of time. The plaintiff
was awarded R400 000.
[29]
In
Ndlovu
v Road Accident Fund,
[11]
the
plaintiff, who was 38 at the time of the injury, sustained a left
tibia compound fracture with lateral degloving and soft tissue
injuries. She was discovered to have a fibula fracture and a left
ankle medial malleolus fracture. She was hospitalised for 21
days,
underwent a blood transfusion, and had internal fixation of both the
tibial fractures and nails inserted. She had to undergo
debridement
of the wound and a skin graft to the left shin with the left thigh
being the donor site. She was wheelchair-bound for
six weeks and
bedridden for a number of months, using crutches. She experienced
knee pain, and sustained large, and extensive unsightly
hyper
pigmented
scars
which
were
sensitive
to touch.
She
was
awarded
R470 000 for general damages, with the current day value at R735 000.
[30]
In
Jamieson
v Road Accident Fund
[12]
the plaintiff, a 13-year-old learner at the time of the injury,
sustained a moderate diffuse axonal brain injury with internal
haemorrhaging, a spinal injury to her neck and cervical spine with
instability of the C2- C3 and C4-C5 cervical vertebrae, a compound
comminuted open proximal fracture, and a severe degloving injury to
her left arm. She was awarded the sum of R900 000 for general
damages
in 2021.
[31]
The
parties relied on a number of decisions dealing with similar
circumstances in support
of
their
contentions
as
to
the
appropriate
amount
to
be
awarded
for
general
damages in respect of M[...]. I have considered them but I am mindful
of the words
of
Rogers
J,
as
he
then
was,
in
AD
and
another
v
MEC
for
Health
and
Social
Development, Western Cape Provincial Government
[13]
where
he held the following:
‘
Money
cannot
compensate
[the
minor
on
behalf
of
whom
the
claim
has
been
made]
for
everything he
has lost. It does, however, have the power to enable those
caring for him
to try things
which
may
alleviate
his
pain
and
suffering
and
to
provide
him
with
some
pleasures
in
substitution
for
those
which
are
now
closed
to
him.
These
might
include
certain
of
the treatments
which I have not felt able to allow as quantifiable future medical
costs.’
[32]
His
approach was followed in, amongst others,
PM
obo TM v MEC for Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
,
[14]
and
endorsed in
NK
v MEC for Health, Gauteng
.
[15]
However, our courts have warned that when considering past awards,
each case must be scrutinised carefully and a court must make
its own
independent assessment, as past awards are merely a guide and are not
to be slavishly followed.
[16]
[33]
Having
regard to the assessment of damages involving children, Snyders JA
held the following in
Singh
v Ebrahim:
[17]
‘
The
conservative approach to the assessment of damages is an approach
based on policy considerations. Those policy considerations
take
account of the fact that when a court assesses damages, particularly
for loss of future earning capacity and medical expenses,
it has been
said to be “pondering the imponderable”. It in essence
makes an assessment of what the future holds. Fairness
to a defendant
when an uncertain future is assessed at a time when the injuries
caused by the defendant is known and could give
rise to an overly
sympathetic assessment of the plaintiff's damages, has also to be
borne in mind. The general equities in the
case need to be given due
weight to achieve fairness, not only to the defendant, but the
plaintiff and the
public
at large. The latter, because awards made affect the course of awards
in the future,
overly
optimistic awards may promote inequality and foster litigation.’
(Footnotes omitted.)
[34]
In arriving at an award, I have borne in
mind that no two cases are exactly the same and awards based on past
decisions only serve
as a rough guide. Each matter must be decided on
its own set of facts. I have taken into account the sequela agreed
on by the parties. I accept that M[...] has
suffered permanent orthopaedic injuries. I have also noted that the
defendant has not
placed in dispute the extent of the injuries
suffered by M[...] and the future medical treatment that he would
require.
[35]
I am also mindful of the fact that given
the serious degloving injuries and the significant
scarring,
the
absence
of
a
report
by
a
plastic
surgeon
also
influences
the extent to which any of his scarring can
be remediated. It would certainly have assisted the court had such a
report been obtained
in relation to whether any of the scarring could
be ameliorated by a plastic surgeon. Having said this, however, I am
mindful that
any future surgeries will inflict future pain and
suffering on him.
[36]
I
do not accept the submission of Ms Naidu that when awarding general
damages, I must award two separate amounts: one for the scarring
and
one for the injuries he suffered. The award of general damages is a
globular amount, taking into account the extent of the
injuries, the
scarring and disfigurement, and the pain and suffering he will
endure. Having considered all the above, the submissions
of the
parties’
legal representatives, and having regard to the expert reports and
the nature of the injuries he suffered, I am of
the view that an
award of R850 000 in respect of
general
damages is a fair and appropriate award in the circumstances. I am
mindful that the assessment of an appropriate award of
general
damages is a discretionary matter and has as its objective to fairly
and adequately compensate an injured party.
[18]
# Costs
Costs
[37]
It is trite that the award of costs falls
within the discretion of this court. It is also common cause that up
until 12 April 2024,
when the provisions of Uniform rules 69 and 70
were amended, the award of costs and the reasonableness thereof were
considered
by the taxing master or agreed upon by the parties. The
rules were amended to make provision for a tariff for counsel’s
fees
on a party and party basis in certain civil matters and to
provide for a tariff of fees for legal practitioners who appear in
superior
courts.
[38]
The
amendments to the Uniform Rules of Court, which culminated in the
current rules 67A, 69, and 70, emanated from an investigation
undertaken by the South African Law
Reform
Commission
into
legal
fees,
including
access
to
justice
and
other
interventions.
[19]
The
high costs associated with legal l fees and costs are seen as a
barrier to the constitutionally recognised right of access to
justice
in s 34 as the majority of South Africans are unable to access legal
representation.
[39]
It is against this background that the
investigations were undertaken,
submissions
were made by various law bodies, and consultation processes held with
members of the public in various areas across
the nine provinces.
This resulted in the report of the South African Law Reform
Commission, dated 28 March 2022, containing recommendations
which was
submitted to the Minister for his consideration. This is presumably
what resulted in the recommendations to the Rules
Board and the
subsequent amendment to the rules. The old Uniform rule 69 was
considered to not make sufficient provision for the
recovery of
counsel’s fees in respect of the statutory party and party
tariffs.
[40]
The
major change to rule 70 pertains to the work undertaken by attorneys
when they appear in the high court. Similarly, advocates
are now
subject to a tariff applicable under rule 70 where they have
undertaken the work of attorneys permitted by
s 34(2)
(a)
(ii)
of the
Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014
.
[20]
[41]
The provisions of
rule 67A(1)
apply to
costs orders made on a party and party scale and require a court to
consider what scale of costs must apply to a party
and party bill in
respect of the work undertaken by counsel or attorneys appearing in
the high court. The rule does not apply in
the case of an order
sought or made for attorney and client or attorney and own client
costs.
[42]
The court has a discretion but certain
guidelines are provided when exercising its discretion to award
costs.
Rule 67A(2)
allows the court to have regard to the provisions
of
rule
41A
,
which
provides
for
mediation
as
a
dispute
resolution mechanism;
and
the
failure by any party or such party's legal representative to comply
with the provisions of
rules 30A
,
37
and
37A
. In addition, other
factors which a court considers in terms of
rule 67A(2)
are:
‘
(
c
)
unnecessary or prolix drafting, unnecessary
annexures and unnecessary procedures followed;
(d)
unnecessary time spent in leading evidence,
cross examining witnesses and argument;
(e)
the
conduct
of
the
litigation
by
any
party’s
legal
representative
and
whether
such
representative should be ordered to pay
such costs in his or her personal capacity; and
(f)
whether the litigation could have been
conducted out of the magistrate’s court.’
[43]
The
maximum scale of costs to be applied is set out in
rule 69(7).
These
scales are scale A, B and C. Scale “A” provides a tariff
of R375 per quarter of an hour, scale
“B”
R750 per quarter of an hour, and scale “C” R1 125 per
quarter of an hour. It would appear that the factors
to be considered
when determining the scale involve three considerations, being the
complexity of the matter, the value of the
claim, and the importance
thereof. When an order does not indicate a scale, it will be on scale
A.
[21]
[44]
The 12 April 2024 amendment, in my view,
only applies prospectively and an order in terms of
rule 67A(3)
should be made in matters instituted before 12 April 2024 but
finalised or heard thereafter. The scale applies to work done after
12 April 2024. Having considered the provisions of
rule 67A
, the
rationale behind the amendments,
and
having regard to the recommendations of the South African Law Reform
Commission and the submissions made to the Rules Board
justifying the
amendment of the rule, in my view,
rule 67A
is not aimed at the
conduct of the defendant. Any misconduct or unwarranted conduct of
the defendant can be dealt with by way of
a punitive costs order or
an attorney and client costs order and ought not to fall within the
ambit of considerations when deciding
what scale of costs to award.
[45]
Ms Naidu submitted that the most
appropriate scale which ought to be awarded
is scale C, given the nature of the issues
argued, namely that of general damages, the serious nature and extent
of the orthopaedic
and degloving injuries suffered by the minor
child, as well as her level of experience at the bar being in excess
of 20 years.
Ms Naidu also submitted that the award of scale C was
warranted given the conduct of the defendant who settled the matter
at court
on the day of the trial, as opposed to making an offer prior
to the trial hearing.
[46]
Ms Govender submitted that there was
nothing complex regarding this particular matter and the injuries,
although severe, were not
out of the ordinary orthopaedic injuries
and one could have regard to the decided cases in submitting what an
appropriate award
for general damages was. She submitted an order of
costs on scale B was the most appropriate award.
[47]
In my view, as the conduct of the defendant
is not the focus of
rule 67A
and as a punitive costs order has not
been sought, the focus ought to be on the nature of the matter, its
complexity, and the manner
in which it was presented. In my view, the
arguments were not unduly complex and there was agreement on the
reports. It was simply
argued on the papers. Given these
circumstances, I agree with Ms Govender
that scale B is the most appropriate scale
to be applied to counsel’s fees.
# Order
Order
[48]
In the result the following order is
issued:
1.
The
defendant
is
directed
to
pay
the
plaintiff
the
sum
of
R850
000
as
general damages.
2.
The defendant is directed to pay the costs
occasioned by counsel’s appearance on 30 April 2024 on scale B.
# Henriques ADJP
Henriques ADJP
# Case Information
Case Information
Date
of Trial:
29
& 30 April 2024
Date
of Judgement:
11
June 2024
Plaintiff’s
attorneys:
Marlan
Naidu & Partners
Email:
devika@mnplaw.co.za
C/O
Aesha Ramchunder Attorneys
Suite
1001, Durban Club Chambers
5
Durban Club Place
Durban
Plaintiff’s
counsel:
Ms
S Naidu
advsnaidu@gmail.com
Defendant:
The
Road Accident Fund 9th Floor, Embassy Building
199
Smith Street
Durban
Link
number: 4039582
Defendant’s
counsel:
Ms
S Govender
surig@raf.co.za
This judgment was handed
down electronically by circulation to the parties’
representatives by email, and released to SAFLII.
The date and time
for hand down is deemed to be 14h00 on 11 June 2024.
[1]
Southern
Insurance Association Ltd v Bailey NO
1984
(1) SA 98
(A) at 119D-H.
[2]
Mashigo
v Road Accident Fund
[2018]
ZAGPPHC 539 (‘
Mashigo
’).
[3]
Methule
obo Minor v Road Accident Fund
[2022]
ZAGPPHC 192; 2022 (8G4) QOD 1 (GNP).
[4]
Phasha
v Road Accident Fund
[2012]
ZAGPPHC 246.
[5]
Nyawose
v Road Accident Fund
[2021]
ZAGPPHC 506.
[6]
Masemola
v Road Accident Fund
[2023]
ZAGPPHC 553.
[7]
Ncubu
v National Employers' General Insurance Co Ltd
1988
(2) SA 190
(N); 1987 (3E2) QOD 689 (N); [1987] LNQD 6 (N).
[8]
Rieder
v Road Accident Fund
2011
(6E6) QOD 1 (ECG); [2011] LNQD 33 (ECG).
[9]
Sotyelelwa
v Union and South West Africa Insurance Co Ltd
1979
(3E2) QOD 21 (E); [1979] LNQD 11 (E).
[10]
Alexander
v Road Accident Fund
[2022]
ZAECMKHC 62; [2022] LNQD 70 (ECM).
[11]
Ndlovu
v Road Accident Fund
2015
(7E4) QOD 18 (GSJ); [2015] LNQD 21 (GSJ).
[12]
Jamieson
v
Road
Accident
Fund
[2021]
ZAECGHC
72;
2021
(8J2)
QOD
1
(ECG);
[2021]
LNQD
23
(ECG).
[13]
AD
and
Another
v
MEC
for
Health
and
Social
Development,
Western
Cape
Provincial
Government
[2016] ZAWCHC 181
para
618
[14]
PM
obo TM v MEC for Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
[2017]
ZAGPJHC 346 para 56.
[15]
NK
v MEC for Health, Gauteng
[2018]
ZASCA 13
;
2018 (4) SA 454
(SCA) para 11.
[16]
Minister
of Safety and Security v Seymour
[2006]
ZASCA 71
;
2006 (6) SA 320
(SCA) paras 17–19; and
Minister
of Safety and Security v Tyulu
[2009]
ZASCA 55
;
2009 (5) SA 85
(SCA) para 26.
[17]
Singh
and another v Ebrahim
[2010]
ZASCA 145
para 128.
[18]
Minister
of Police v Dlwathi
[2016]
ZASCA 6
para 8;
Protea
Assurance Co Ltd v Lamb
1971
(1) SA 530
(A) at 534H-535A; and
Road Accident Fund v Marunga
2003 (5) SA 164
(SCA) para 23.
[19]
South
African Law Commission, Project 142 ‘Investigation into legal
fees - including access to justice and other interventions’
March 2022.
[20]
Rule
67A(1)
(c)
.
[21]
Rule
67A(3)
(c)
.
sino noindex
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