MEDIA RELEASE
More Access To Compensation Than Ever Before
The Accident Compensation Commission of Fiji (ACCF) held its first Board meeting for the year on Wednesday, 17th February 2021. As part of Management’s update, the Board was advised that the majority of applicants for compensation for injuries arising from motor vehicle and employment accidents would not have received compensation under the previous legal framework.
ACCF CEO, Mr. Parvez Akbar advised that close to 80% of families who lost loved ones from motor vehicle accidents would also have missed out from receiving compensation under the old law. This was established after analysing payments made by ACCF in the context of the previous requirement to prove fault.
There were other exclusions under policies of insurance that applied prior to the introduction of the Accident Compensation Scheme, which means that the number of victims of accidents who would have been excluded from compensation in the past is actually higher. Previously some victims of motor vehicle and employment accidents were unable to recover their entitlement to compensation as a result of companies becoming insolvent.
The introduction of the Accident Compensation Scheme by the Fijian Government removed these challenges.
The ACCF Board noted the following:
- ACCF has paid a total of $17.3 million in compensation to victims of accidents since January 2018.
- This total sum paid is made up as follows:
Motor Vehicle Accidents$14,379,000.00
Employment Accidents$2,784,000.00
School Accidents$147,000.00