Pedestrian’s $200,000 Payout After Witnessing Traumatic Accident.

28 June 2023

Brooklyn struggled with her mental health on and off for most of her life, but when she hit her thirties, she finally felt like she was in a good place. She spent lots of her time walking, jogging, and doing Pilates in the large green space right near where she lives. She doesn’t drive and uses a combination of walking and public transport to get around.

Everything was going well until she witnessed an accident that set her back to square one. Brooklyn was out for a walk when she witnessed a horrific scene where a woman was hit by a bus as it pulled out from the stop. Brooklyn ran towards the bus and was able to get the driver to stop, but the woman who had been hit had been dragged alongside and was severely injured.

Pedestrian awarded lump sum payout after witnessing traumatic accident and experiencing PTSD.

Another passer-by and one of the passengers from the bus helped Brooklyn administer first aid to the injured woman, who was taken to hospital, and later had both her legs amputated. The first aid that Brooklyn helped administer likely saved her life, but was deeply traumatic for Brooklyn, who developed severe PTSD. She struggled to sleep, exercise, or even leave her house. She stopped going to work, and experienced extreme anxiety about going anywhere near the road.

Call 13 15 15 or chat to us now for free advice

Chat now

Find out how much you can claim.

Get started

Her brother became increasingly worried about her, so he did some research online and found Law Partners. Brooklyn hadn’t realised she was even eligible to make a claim. “I honestly didn’t think anyone was going to be able to help me,” Brooklyn says now.

“Law Partners gave me my life back.”

Brooklyn was worried that she wouldn’t be able to claim because she’d experienced mental health struggles in the past, but her solicitor Lydia was able to prove that witnessing and providing first aid during the accident had caused a substantial impact to Brooklyn’s mental health.

Lydia took the time to get to know Brooklyn personally and fully understand the impact of the psychiatric injuries in every area of her life. Brooklyn was unable to go to work, catch public transport, or even be around certain foods that triggered memories of the accident.

Seeing a solicitor who specialised in claims like hers allowed Brooklyn to make a CTP claim for her psychological injuries, despite being a pedestrian. The insurance company of the bus operator provided her with weekly payments to cover the wages she lost while she wasn’t working, as well as paying for medical treatment, including psychiatric and psychological supports.

Brooklyn was awarded a $210,000 lump sum payment in addition to her other benefits, to account for the lifelong impact of her injuries.

She’s made huge amounts of progress, but there are parts of her life which will never be the same. “I’m just looking forward to the future,” Brooklyn says. “Now I can finally move on.”