The appellant, Patronacia Thembi Maswanganyi, acting on behalf of her minor child, sued the Road Accident Fund (RAF) for loss of support following the death of the child’s father in a motor vehicle collision on 6 July 2014. The claim alleged that the collision was caused solely by the negligence of the insured driver and sought damages of R1 million. On the first day of trial in the Limpopo High Court, the parties concluded a settlement agreement in terms of which the RAF accepted 100% liability and agreed to pay R561 314.63. They requested the presiding judge to make the settlement an order of court. The judge declined, expressing concern that the papers did not disclose any negligence on the part of the insured driver and that the settlement appeared to be motivated by the RAF’s lack of preparedness rather than liability. She ordered that the trial continue. After evidence had commenced, the appellant brought an interlocutory application to declare the trial a nullity and to have the settlement made an order of court. That application and a subsequent appeal to the full court were dismissed, leading to the present appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal.