DAMAGES COMMITTEE

The Damages Committee assists actuaries and facilitates communication, discussion and liaison within the profession on relevant topics related to damage assessment.

Members of ASSA are involved in various parts of the damages and litigation fields in South Africa. The roles of members in these fields usually relates to assisting the Court with quantum calculation, reporting and testifying (as an expert witness) on matters that are deemed to require the expertise of members. The following are the main types of claims where actuarial expertise might be required:

  • Loss of income.
  • Loss of support.
  • Future medical costs.
  • Maintenance.
  • Accrual of estates.

The damages and compensation committee was formed to support actuaries working in this area and to promote the profession within this area of work.

The objectives of the Damages Committee are to:

  • Promote discussion and research into topics of interest to actuaries working in the field,
  • Promote awareness of the profession’s involvement in this area,
  • Provide opportunities for continuing professional development and dissemination of relevant legal updates,
  • Develop professional guidance relating to work in the field, and
  • Create networking opportunities for actuaries working in this field.

The current committee consists of a number of professionals working in this area.

The committee members are as follows:

Committee member Position
Gregory Whittaker Chair & Legal Sub-Committee Representative
Sudesh Panday Secretary & CPD & events Sub-Committee Representative
Amith Haribhai Legal Sub-Committee Representative
Charl du Plessis Research Sub-Committee Representative
Christian Strydom CPD & events Sub-Committee Representative
Edward Alant Legal Sub-Committee Representative
Frans Koning Research Sub-Committee Representative
Gert Van Der Linde Professional Guidance Sub-Committee Representative
Grant Pretorious Professional Guidance Sub-Committee Representative
Hitesh Solanki CPD & events Sub-Committee Representative
Moan Jacobson Professional Guidance Sub-Committee Representative
Marinel Botes CPD & events Sub-Committee Representative
Namir Waisberg Research Sub-Committee Representative
Ndumiso Mavimbela Professional Guidance Sub-Committee Representative
Niel Fourie ASSA Representative
Nilen Kambaran Research Sub-Committee Representative
Pieter Gericke Legal Sub-Committee Representative
Pinkie Modise CPD & events Sub-Committee Representative
Rinus du Plessis Legal Sub-Committee Representative
Willem Boshoff Research Sub-Committee Representative
Wim Loots Professional Guidance Sub-Committee Representative

The research sub-committee has compiled a number of discussion documents. These should not be interpreted to be the opinion of the research sub-committee or the compensation and damages committee as a whole. Rather they reflect the considered opinion of an actuary working in the area and in certain cases a summary of the assumptions and methods used in practice. The following table reflects the papers that are available on request.

Discussion papers Name E-mail
Treatment of pension benefits Charl du Plessis charl@munrocc.com
Medical negligence discount rates Charl du Plessis charl@munrocc.com
Remarriage contingencies Megan Butler meganbjbutler@gmail.com
Mortality tables and AIDS mortality Frans Koning koningf@ufs.ac.za
The 2.5% discount rate Megan Butler meganbjbutler@gmail.com

A recommended reading list can be found here

You can contact Gregory Whittaker: gregory@algorithm-ca.com