On Christmas Day of 2018, Charles Habinshuti, a resident of Tumba Sector in Huye District, was hit by a truck and was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) with injuries to one of his legs. The 38-year-old says he faced a hard journey to recovery not just due to the severity of the injuries sustained, but also the arduous experience encountered as he tried to claim compensation from his insurance company due to a lawyer “who took advantage” of him. ALSO READ: Taxi moto operators protest insurance premium hike “I was awarded just Rwf3.2 million despite suffering a serious injury to my leg that left my bones damaged permanently. In contrast, a taxi-moto rider I know received over Rwf7 million, even though his injuries were less severe,” he lamented, during an interview with The New Times. Habinshuti claims that the “lawyer” who assisted him in the process “colluded” with the insurance company and exploited his ignorance in the process of making claims from his insurance cover. He argues that a number of people encounter such problems mostly due to unscrupulous lawyers. When you're hospitalised, unless you're well-versed with the claims process or have connections, it's hard to know who to trust. Many lawyers seem sympathetic, but in reality, their priority is to make money from your misfortune, he added. An almost similar case happened to Japhet Twagirimana, a 28-year-old resident of Kinyinya Sector in Gasabo District who claims he was cheated by a lawyer too after suffering an accident in 2019. ALSO READ: Six ways govt plans to mitigate road accidents Like Habinshuti, Twagirimana also sustained injuries to his leg and an alveolar bone. While his injuries were treated in Rwanda, the alveolar bone injury required more advanced care in countries like Morocco. The doctors recommended I seek further treatment in Morocco after Rwanda Military Hospital couldn't fully treat my alveolar bone,” he explained. Despite the recommendation, his trip to Morocco did not materialise due to delays in compensation in addition to being awarded money that could not support the procedure. When he tried to drag the insurance company to court, his lawyer advised him not to do it, but settle everything amicably. “I followed my attorney’s advice, he says. He received Rwf6 million in compensation, of which he paid a big amount to the lawyer, and remained with only Rwf 3.8 million, an amount he says was insufficient to cover his medical bills and recovery expenses. Lawyers’ association admits such issues exist Speaking to The New Times, Moise Nkundabarashi, the president of Rwanda Bar Association, admitted that such issues have been identified, and some lawyers have been dismissed from the association due to such unprofessional conduct. “But this has not put an end to the problem because there are some that still masquerade as lawyers, and of recent, we reported like five cases to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) so that they can be prosecuted,” he said. “We take this matter very seriously. Whoever reports such issues to us, we really take them up and make sure that if the person in question is a lawyer, he or she is taken through the procedures of the disciplinary committee and then sanctioned,” he added. Insurance company’s perspective Solange Muteteri, the Claims Director at Radiant Insurance Company, talked to The New Times about some of the reasons behind the victims' dissatisfaction. One of the primary reasons for delays, she said, is the failure of victims to submit the required documents in a timely manner. The file must be completed within six months to ensure that the doctor can accurately assess the injuries sustained during the accident, she explained. Any missing information or documents can significantly slow down the process, she added. Once the documentation is received, the insurance company arranges a medical evaluation to confirm the extent of the injuries. Muteteri emphasized that once this evaluation is complete, compensation should be calculated, and the payment should be made within 30 days. ALSO READ: Insurance industry seeks solutions to low penetration in Rwanda However, she pointed out that some victims cause delays by seeking advice from multiple sources after their injuries are valued. Some victims get lost in the process and unnecessarily extend the timeline, she said, also highlighting the issue of unprofessional intermediaries who complicate the claims process.
