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14th September 2009

Compensation for newlyweds in head-on crash

Road Accident on Holiday

Newlyweds on a once in a lifetime cruise of the Mediterranean have received accident compensation after their Italian tour bus was involved in a head-on collision in which one person died.

Angela and Simon Howland from Leeds were half way through their dream holiday in June 2008 when the bus was forced to swerve to avoid a head-on collision with a car as they travelled through a tunnel between the Italian cities of Sorrento and Pompeii.

The bus, carrying passengers from their cruise ship on an excursion, crashed into the tunnel walls, leaving the driver seriously injured and its passengers with varying personal injuries. The driver of the on-coming car was killed.

Approaching car tried to overtake and collided with bus

Angela, 34, and Simon, 39, were sitting just four rows from the front of the bus. Simon watched in horror as the approaching car pulled out of its lane to try to overtake and smashed straight into the bus.

His quick reactions meant he was able to brace himself and his new wife against the full impact of the crash.

Angela suffered from severe bruising on her legs and cuts to her face and hands. Simon had minor cuts and bruises to his face and hands. He has since suffered from flashbacks.

More than a year later, Angela still has a lump on her leg despite receiving physiotherapy.

Holiday was ruined by accident

The couple had married just a week earlier in Leeds after being together for six years. They were on a cruise which had already stopped in Tunisia and Naples. They were travelling to visit the city of Pompeii before the ship sailed for Florence and Monte Carlo.

Following the accident they were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Those passengers who were well enough were able to continue their cruise.

Angela said the accident ruined what should have been the best holiday of their lives.

She said: “We were fortunate that our injuries weren’t worse. We were able to continue our holiday, but my leg was so badly injured I wasn’t able to go on any more excursions. Despite having paid in advance for trips to visit a number of cities, but we had to sit and watch while everyone else disembarked. We said one day we would have to come back to finish the cruise properly.

“It should have been a dream holiday, but the crash left us shocked and injured.”

Injured couple assisted by Thompsons Solicitors

When the couple returned home to their jobs working as call handlers for West Yorkshire Police’s Killingbeck Area Command they were advised by their supervisor, a GMB representative, to get help from the union’s lawyers.

The GMB instructed Thompsons Solicitors to advise them on their personal injury claim. While an accident abroad of this kind on a package booked in the UK would usually be compensated as if the accident happened in the UK under the package holiday regulations, it wasn’t in Angela and Simon’s case because the excursion was not booked at the same time as the holiday.

Thompsons took on the insurers of the coach who settled the claim with Angela receiving £1,200 and Simon receiving £774. The compensation would have been higher in the UK but damages were assessed under Italian law where compensation is traditionally lower than in the UK.

Angela said: “When we returned home we were sent information from the holiday company but it seemed like a complicated process and the chances of us getting the money back for the excursions we missed seemed unlikely. We decided then to instruct the GMB’s solicitors. The compensation will help us to take another holiday soon.”

Dream Holiday was ruined

Tim Roache from the GMB said: “Too often our members have what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday, destroyed by accidents which are no fault of their own. We are only too pleased to support holiday injury claims as part of the free legal service for GMB members.”

Clare Goldberg from Thompsons Solicitors said: “This couple’s dream holiday was ruined. They were fortunate they did not sustain more serious injuries but it is only right that they received compensation for injuries which were bad enough to have a huge impact on their honeymoon and on their lives after they returned.”

Personal Injury Compensation Claim Advice

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Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.