Compensation to Father of Car Crash Victim for Mental Anguish Claim

Oct. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- A man who lost his daughter in a car accident has won compensation from the insurers of the driver, for psychiatric injuries sustained in the aftermath of the incident.

Daughter Louise Jones, plus friends Danielle Caswell, Katie Roberts, and Kayleigh Parry, died in November 2006, when they were thrown from the car as it swerved on a mountain road near Ebbw Vale.

Driver and only survivor of the accident, Craig Ramshaw, was just 18 at the time of the accident and was subsequently convicted of careless driving after the incident.

Father of the deceased, Terry Jones, received £25,000 accident claims compensation and was pleased with the ruling of the court.

“It’s made people sit up and realise the damage that has been done to me and the other parents,” he said.

Cardiff Court of Civil Justice heard how Mr Jones had “lived a life of hell” since the losing his daughter in the accident.

His Honour Judge Seys Llewellyn QC concurred with expert witness, psychiatrist Dr David Thomas, who said that Mr Jones was suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The judge explained that no amount of damages will compensate Mr Jones for his loss.

The young driver’s insurance company are likely to pay the compensation.

Mr Jones told the court during the hearing that: “All my wife and myself want to do is to die, words cannot adequately describe our sense of loss.”

Mr Jones’s case was made for personal injury as a “secondary victim” and his injury solicitor James MacQuillan described the case as unique and that it took years to prepare.

“He is satisfied that justice has been done,” said Mr MacQuillan.

Jones explained to the court how he had been “bluntly” told of his daughter’s death after being stopped twice by a police road block at the accident scene.

Solicitors for the respondent have 28 days to appeal.

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