I want to make an injury claim for an accident on the Luas for severely spraining my wrist. The driver braked suddenly causing me to fall. Will I be entitled to compensation for my injury?
You should be entitled to make an injury claim for an accident on the Luas, provided it can be established and proven that your injury was caused as a direct result of negligence of the tram driver. It is conceivable that a Luas personal injury claim could be made on the grounds of the driver suddenly breaking, even if it was to avoid hitting a cyclist, pedestrian or motor vehicle.
Although the tram driver should have performed an emergency stop under these circumstances, if he or she was not paying sufficient attention, and could have stopped the tram without endangering the tram passengers had it not been for a lapse in concentration, this could be classed as driver negligence. If the tram was overcrowded, the tram driver may also be at fault for allowing too many people to board the tram making it unsafe for travel.
Without further information on the cause and circumstances surrounding the accident it is not possible to confirm whether an injury claim for an accident on the Luas will be possible in your case. However, to ensure that your right to make a Luas personal injury claim is not lost, it is essential that you seek medical attention for your injury if you have not already done so. It will not be possible for you to recover compensation for an injury on the Luas if your injury has not been assessed by a doctor, even if you were injured as a result of negligence of the driver.
In order for you to make a claim for an injury on a Dublin tram you must report the accident. You should therefore make a formal complaint about the incident in writing to the Veolia Transport Customer Care Department. You should detail the cause of the accident – as far as you can establish this – and the injury you sustained. You should include the date and time of the accident, and if possible, the tram number, driver identification number and the station and time that you boarded the tram. This will enable Veolia to investigate the accident.
Your claim for an injury on a Dublin tram does have potential to be complicated, so we strongly recommend contacting a personal injury solicitor to discuss recovering compensation for an injury on the Luas. If it is possible for you to make a claim, your chosen solicitor will provide assistance with the collection of evidence of negligence of the driver and will complete the necessary legal procedures including writing your claim form and obtaining a medical assessment form from the doctor who treated you after the accident.
