Fatal accident – family effect

Fatal accident when parents and their son were out cycling. The men were on the grass verge fixing the son’s bicycle and Mum was sitting on a bike at the side of the road. It was a normal width road, and she was inside the white line at the edge of the road. A van coming from behind simply veered off the road, knocking Mum and her bike back up in the air, and she was killed.

Both father and son suffered post traumatic stress disorder. This is a condition above and beyond the upset which is expected after a death. It effects those on the scene who witness the accident and its consequences. It is important to have early rehabilitation treatment for this condition. The sympathetic insurer arranged the therapy, and this helped to ease the suffering. The help even included a professional gardener to keep the family garden in good order until father felt able to continue on its care. A compensation case cannot put things right, but if approached with empathy the case can do more than produce a payment.

Compensation in the case was not high as the lady killed was retired. So the settlement included a bereavement award, funeral costs, and the son’s loss of earnings until the therapy helped him back to work.

The driver of the van was prosecuted for careless driving. The circumstances did not suggest dangerous driving.