Grieving mothers brand bereavement compensation system ‘unjust’
Posted: September 23, 2015
Posted in: Car Accidents Road Traffic Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
The mothers of two teenage girls, who were both killed in a car accident last year, have described the bereavement compensation system as “unjust” after they were awarded £13,000 for the loss of their daughters. 16-year-olds Megan Storey and Jordanna Goodwin were both killed, alongside three other teenagers, when the car they had been travelling in collided with another during a Saturday night trip to the fast food restaurant McDonalds.
The group of friends had been in a blue Toyota Corolla when the driver ‘lost control’ in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire. The car accelerated downhill and came to a bend where it collided with a grey Seat Leon travelling in the opposite direction.
The stretch of road on which the car accident happened, the A630 between Doncaster and Rotherham, is known as an accident black spot. The car’s three other passengers also lost their lives in the accident – Blake Cairns (16), Arpad Kore (18) and Bartosz Bortniczak (18).
“injustice of the way the system works”
Both Tracey Storey and Vicki McCarthy were awarded bereavement payouts of £12,980 following the loss of their daughters. This is a fixed payment observed by the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, which applies to England and Wales. Both of the girls’ mothers have opened an e-petition to have this law changed to the same conditions that apply in Scotland. In Scotland it is the judge who determines the amount of bereavement compensation.
Mrs Storey stated: “This is not about being greedy and seeking more money, as no amount of money can compensate for the loss of Megan or Jordanna. It is about the injustice of the way the system works.”
If you have suffered injury in a road traffic accident or have been affected by a serious incident, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
« Health trusts fined over girl’s death
Manchester second highest for pothole accident claims »
