Transport

We tend to take our transport systems for granted and expect to have the freedom to travel anywhere in the world. This is something many of us we do without a moment’s thought.

People travel in a wide variety of ways and without any problems but if something does go wrong then the consequences can be devastating.

If this happened to you or someone that you know then you/they may be entitled to compensation.

This section looks at claims for the following:

• Air accident claims
• Rail accident claims
• Sea accident claims

Car accident claims are discussed in both our road accidents section and car accidents abroad claims section.

Various forms of transport

Travel has become much more accessible than before and has opened up areas of the world to many more people than before. Plus a great many people travel for business, sport and other similar activities.

Flying is one of the most popular forms of transport but there are other options such as rail and sea. The emergence of low cost airlines, cheap ferry and rail fares has made this all of this possible.

We are able to visit places that our parents (and grandparents) can only dream about and do so in a variety of ways. Flying is the preferred mode of travel but for those people who are not devotees of air travel there are other options such as boats, trains and buses.

Whatever the mode of transport the one thing they all have in common is a duty of care to the passenger. Passengers expect to have a safe and hopefully, comfortable journey to their chosen destination and in most situations this is the norm.

But travel is not risk free.

Transport accidents

Sadly, there have been occasions where large numbers of people have been injured or killed as a result of a major accident. These include coach, train, boat and airplane crashes and these have catastrophic effects on the people involved and those around them.

Examples of these include the Hatfield train crash, the 1985 Manchester air disaster and the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster.

Health and safety guidelines are put in place to ensure that passengers are protected against the risk of an accident or injury along with clearly displayed instructions.

But if these fail or are inadequate then an accident is likely to happen which has devastating effects on both the affected person and their family.

The effect of a transport accident

Public transport involves the transportation of a large number of people within a confined space to a chosen destination and if an accident occurs then the chances are that many of these people will be injured.

If you are one of these people and have been injured to negligence or someone else’s actions then you may be able to claim compensation.

Compensation claim for a transport accident

Find a personal injury lawyer or solicitor who has expertise in handling these types of claims. He or she will have understanding and experience of the many complex issues involved as well as a degree of sensitivity.

Anyone who has been involved in an accident on this scale, especially the high profile ones will have experienced a high level of physical, mental and emotional distress.

Many people will develop post traumatic stress disorder as a result and will require support and counselling to deal with the aftermath of their ordeal.

The personal injury lawyer will assess your claim in order to ascertain the facts of the situation and to review any supporting evidence. They will look at the ‘grounds’(reasons) for making a claim and proof that the accident was a lack of duty of care.

The claims process is covered in more detail in our making a claim for compensation section.

Find out more about transport accident claims in this section.