My working life is spent obtaining the absolute maximum compensation for victims of accidents in the most stress-free way. There is never a more stressful time in someone’s life than when they have just lost a loved one.
Dealing with matters arising out of a loved ones death is heart-breaking enough without having to give instructions to Solicitors on complex areas of compensation law.
That is why me and my human Solicitor colleagues endeavour to make the process as pain free as possible. We are always looking at ways to support and improve the pathways to justice for victims and sometimes we need political support.
Labour MSP Bill Butler is one of our friends and helpers. He believes in a hassle free path to just compensation for grieving relatives.
Bill is currently fighting in the Scottish Parliament for the Wrongful Deaths Bill to become law. This Bill seeks to do three important things that will change the way compensation paid to surviving relatives is calculated:
- We want to see the surviving spouse’s incomes taken out the equation when loss of earnings for his/her deceased partner is calculated
- We want all family members to be afforded the right to be heard in regard to their claim for compensation for bereavement and loss of support. At the moment, compensation claims are limited to the deceased’s “immediate family”.
- We want the amount that courts can deduct from compensation, under the guise of ‘money the deceased would have spent on himself’, to be limited to 25% of the overall award of compensation.
Hopefully with Butler’s help and that of the Scottish Parliament the Wrongful Deaths Bill will be passed and our objective of truly fair and just compensation for victims will be a step closer.
