If you witnessed an accident on the London Underground but you have not been injured yourself, then you have no grounds to make a personal injury claim. Financial compensation is there for the victims of accidents, not witnesses or bystanders.
However, if you have experienced emotional or psychological trauma as a result of witnessing an accident, then you may have a personal injury claim worth pursuing. Unlike physical injuries, however, emotional and psychological injuries have no physical symptoms so they are naturally incredibly difficult to diagnose. To make a claim, it has to be shown that you have experienced emotional and/or psychological trauma from the accident and that this trauma manifested itself as a result of the accident itself.
London underground accidents can be anything, from minor slips, trips and falls on elevators, to trapped legs between Tube trains, and even death caused by being hit by a Tube train. In January this year, there was such a tragic case. As the witness of an accident, your claim will not be entertained by any legal department if the accident you witnessed was not serious. Witnessing a death or watching somebody fight for their life after an accident on the London Underground will naturally affect you psychologically, and these are the kind of accidents you can claim for if you were simply a witness to them.
When to Contact a Solicitor
If you have been emotionally or psychologically affected by an accident on the London Underground, then you do not have to suffer in silence. You should contact a law firm specialising in emotional and psychological injuries to discuss your case. A solicitor will help you to ascertain your eligibility to make a claim and they can be the voice of reason at what is naturally a very testing time of your life. You should contact a solicitor as soon as your symptoms start to affect your everyday life, or when they start to affect you financially.
About the Claims Process
Putting in a claim for emotional or psychological trauma is complex and you will have to attend a medical examination before any claim can be made. A consultant specialising in your particular trauma will discuss your symptoms with you. They may prescribe you some form of medicine or they may refer you to a psychologist. This medical examination will ascertain the true extent of your injuries. The report created will be used to form the basis of your claim and a fair and proportionate settlement demand will be put forward by your solicitor based on its findings. It’s hard to say how much compensation you could be entitled to without knowing the extent of your trauma, but you can expect at least £1,000.
Comments are closed.