Road Safety Week 2024 – After The Crash – Every Victim Counts
It is Road Safety Week this week (17th – 23rd November 2024) and every year we stand with Brake, the road safety charity and their vision of a world where no one is killed or hurt on a road.
The theme of this years’ Road Safety Week 2024 is focused on the victims of road traffic collisions ‘after the crash’. In 2023 there were an estimated 29,711 road users fatally or seriously injured as a result of a RTC in the UK. Each victim is a real person. A person, like all of us, with hopes, ambitions, loved ones and whose full potential may never be realised. In reality most road death is preventable and the true impact of a crash is only felt much later.
Those who are seriously injured may suffer from short-term and long-term injuries. This might include:
- Physical injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, amputations, internal organ damage, spinal fractures, to name a few.
- Psychological injuries such as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Seriously injured people need a lot of care and assistance from others. Each victim will need their own specific rehabilitation plan. No two sets of circumstances are alike and some individuals may go on to live the rest of their lives with no long-term issues. Some will lead the rest of their lives with life-changing injuries. This is not just their own life but those around them.
Of the 29,711 serious crashes, there were 1,645 reported fatalities. In these tragic cases the pain and suffering inevitably ripples out to their nearest and dearest. The impact on them is compounded by sudden financial and legal implications arising from the loss of a loved one. Those bereaved by a fatal crash can often feel neglected or neglect themselves. They need emotional, financial and legal support in order to move forward. The statistics alone cannot possibly tell these stories.
We are proud to work with Brake to provide support to all those impacted by a crash.
In focusing on the victims after the crash we can truly understand the real impact on them and those around them. This week is the opportunity to focus on each one of the 29,711 victims.
About the Author
Ken Brough is a Partner in the Personal Injury department at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors. Ken has worked exclusively in Claimant personal injury since 1997 when he started training to be a solicitor and qualified in 1999. Ken has over 25 years’ experience of acting solely for injured people and their families. Ken has worked with Brake for several years.