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"I understand that complex claims like mine take a long time. The women are suing Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd for negligence and or breach of statutory duty. For other inquiries, Contact Us. He said the wounds suffered, both physical and psychological, had 'changed the lives of the some of those injured, in the most dramatic way'. A court saw CCTV footage today for the. As of 1:30 p.m., all . Lawyers for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have said the 1.1-kilometre Smiler, which opened in 2013, never had 'a proper settled system' for staff to follow when carriages stopped on-track. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. Giving an example of the idiosyncratic approach, Mr Thorogood said one engineer who worked on the Smiler that day told investigators after the crash that he had 'assumed' the rollercoaster had been fitted with a type of safety trip-switch present on at least one other park ride, when in fact it had not. In its investigation, the safety watchdog found that a 'near-gale' may have been to blame for the empty carriage failing to clear the Cobra Loop in the first place, following an early problem with one of the ride's lifts. Leigh Curtis, who was sitting in a nearby bar when the accident happened, described quite an eerie feel in the aftermath of the collision. A couple seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have announced their engagement. The University of Nottingham students made the outfits for a bar crawl and posed in them for a student news site. Later in the day we ate lunch and that was when the incident occurred.. , updated They sent a test car down behind us anyway, which I thought was a bit strange, but I guess thats just procedure for them to do that, he said. Mr Thorogood added: 'The subsequent collision was plain to see to some in the train, and I refer to those in the front row's statements, where they speak of their disbelief and horror as they saw ahead up the track the train into which there were going to dive. Sixteen people had to be rescued after it broke down during a press launch in its opening month. A Merlin spokesman said: "From the outset we have admitted liability and have engaged fully at all times to achieve settlement for all the claimants as quickly as possible. He said: 'The staff had come to distrust at that stage the fault signal on occasions and hence they thought that the one that was showing was an error. Ian Crabbe, Alton Towers divisional director, said in a statement: May I first say that my colleagues and I are devastated by what has happened here today, and our only priority at this time is to work with the emergency services to get the 16 people affected off the ride safely, and most importantly those who are injured are being cared for. Victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash have received their first insurance payments. Two women - Victoria Balch and Leah Washington - had. Now Jeremy Hunt must give us a Budget to boost Britain, Leicester 'explosion': Listen to massive 'sonic' boom that shook homes and rattled windows. Guardian's Allowance weekly payments are also rising in April. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. We are confident that lessons have been learned and that appropriate action has been taken to address all the issues raised by our investigation and we believe our core conclusions will be in line with the HSE findings., Paul Paxton, a partner at the law firm Stewarts Law, which is acting for Pugh, Washington and Balch, said it was too early to comment until the conclusion of the HSE investigation. ALTON Towers Smiler crash victim Vicky Balch has married her fianc in an "emotional" wedding ceremony six years after losing her leg. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Footage of the Smiler rollercoaster seconds after the crash. I'm so happy and excited for the rest of our lives together,' she told the Mirrorat the time. Mr Thorogood, summing up that point, said 'engineers revealed a range of understandings to important aspects, which with a single system (of working) there would not be'. "Regrettably, where such serious injuries are sustained, it can take many years before the extent of losses can be established.". Its not really a life, but it's something I'll have to live with', Leah says she is struggling with her training course because of her disability, Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident Leah went through as a 'catastrophic failure', Alton Towers has only made interim payments to cover Leah's medical and physio bills - but the full compensation figure is still being assessed, Emergency services raced to the scene, which saw two victims lose a leg, Firefighters and emergency workers free passengers from the Smiler ride, Alton Towers victim Leah Washington shares pictures of her horror injuries as she reveals Im living in agony, Putin's thugs close in on ravaged Ukrainian city with thousands fleeing as intense fighting rages, Partygate buster Sue Gray's son 'boasting about mum on campaign trail as he tries to unseat Boris Johnson', Suella Braverman vows to stop the boats with new law to crack down on migrants using human rights laws to stay in UK, Runaway mum Constance Marten was 'groomed' by evil Nigerian sect leader, Man 'naked and covered in blood' arrested before mum found 'murdered' at home as neighbours reveal hearing screams, Rishi Sunaks new bill to end the Channel migrant crisis is crucial for the Tories, Right, Brexits done. The pair announced their engagement two years ago onInstagram. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Leah was on a date with boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, when the accident happened, The teen's left leg was so badly crushed doctors amputated it below the knee, Those on the ride suffered injuries all over their bodies - here a badly cut finger is stitched up, A bloodied finger is pictured here as victims suffered horrific injuries in the crash, Leah's leg was left badly crushed and doctors were forced to amputate below the knee, Leah was speaking to Channel 5's documentary Where Theres Blame, Theres a Claim, Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which owns Alton Towers, reopened the Smiler rollercoaster after several months despite the horrific incident, Brave Leah said: 'I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch and Leah Washington sue theme park owners for millions of pounds. A carriage containing 16 passengers crashed into an empty train that had stopped midway around the 14-loop ride. as being like something out of a "horror movie. ", Cash machine fraudsters target Staffordshire banks, Cold weather warning for possible snow showers, Man jailed following fatal hit and run which killed 'devoted mother' in Crewe, Council working on new tree planting policy amid claims existing rules preventing highways planting, Major bus operator announces it will 'step in and cover' Arriva services, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. A Merlin spokesman said: "From the outset we have admitted liability and have engaged fully at all times to achieve settlement for all the claimants as quickly as possible. The trapped ridegoers then had to wait more than four hours to be freed from the crumpled carriage while rescue workers battled to reach them as they sat 25ft up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees, pinned in by the mangled metal. By This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. "I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. Do you know this baby? But Leah added: "Its not going to bring back my leg, its not going to bring back the life I had before. Now we can focus fully on that.. The University of Nottingham Students' Union said the costume was "in no way intended to reference the tragedy". Washington has said she feared she would die in the moments after the crash when she looked down and saw metal bars protruding into her legs. The accident happened on Route 7 westbound at Lakeland Drive . An independent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The court also heard engineers should have seen the empty carriage which was visible on CCTV cameras covering the track. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it opened in 2013 as the world's first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. It really was shocking. I hope I get it right. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? "The claimants' lawyer has confirmed to us that this is a purely procedural filing to preserve their clients' rights in relation to the standard three-year limitation period, and that certain claims are not yet ready for settlement due to their complex nature.". One had then overridden a computer system 'block-stop' which they believed had halted the ride in error, sending a full 16-seater rollercoaster car around the track and into the empty carriage. ': Conservatives blast fellow Republican Matt Schlapp after the CPAC organizer suggested transgender swimmer Lia Thomas 'deserves our compassion', Trump asked Bill Barr 'what the hell were those cops thinking' when they killed George Floyd, said Eric Garner's death looked 'pretty bad' and Ahmaud Arbery's murder was 'ugly', former AG claims in new book, Donald Trump's personal attorney claims thieves broke into her parked car looking to steal former president's confidential files as CCTV shows suspects zooming past his Bedminster golf club before targeting her vehicle, New deal, old flame! Miss Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, and Miss Washington, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, needed partial leg amputations after the crash. Leah Washington said:Merlin have looked after me and my family so well! Me, Dinos mum and my best friends ended up crying. "Those individuals who have not yet settled their claims have received significant interim payments. 'Although I've been through a lot, I wouldn't change what happened because I probably wouldn't have Dino or Vinnie. The Staffordshire theme park owner has already admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act, and was fined 5m in September 2016. Emergency services eventually rescued 16 people trapped on the rollercoaster at a 45-degree angle. Workers at Italian shipyard believe mystery $700M vessel under extreme privacy measures has 'ties to the Russian leader' after European authorities raced to seize other ships owned by oligarchs in his inner circle. The pair then began planning their special day and Vicky admitted she would be using the payout money to fund her dream wedding. Disgusting.". 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Leah Washington, 19, from Barnsley, lost her leg along with another young passenger in the disaster. When the wedding was put off last year, the couplestarted trying for a baby, andthree months after coming off the pill they conceived. She doesnt deserve this and we dont want to go through life watching her struggle., Legal expert Deborah Saini comments: There were failings on the part of Alton Towers and that means they can claim compensation. Leah dreamed of becoming a teacher, but she says that her disability is proving a barrier to the job she's always wanted. People just standing around in bewilderment really.. Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, was fined 5million over the Smiler crash in 2015. 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He said there appeared to have been problems with the ride on Tuesday morning. Staff - under pressure to keep the ride in almost constant use and offered bonuses to keep it running - had not even read the manual for the 18million rollercoaster. When the Smiler reopens, it will include new safety measures including additional CCTV cameras and an enhanced safety process requiring a senior member of staff to authorise the manual overrides that caused the Smiler crash. LOUDON COUNTY, Va. (7News) A Loudoun County road is closed Thursday to repair a traffic signal pole following an overnight crash. But the company has been criticised for putting profits over people and keeping the ride open even in the face of the appalling injuries sustained on it. None of the rollercoaster's four key engineers 'had the full picture or understanding of conditions on the ride' - and may not have all read the instruction manual. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. And Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout for her injuries. I had to think about the help Id need, even at the end of my life. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the. Leah was on a date with boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, when the accident happened. Theres not a lot of people talking, he said. 20:40 GMT 24 Oct 2021 Interim payments have since been paid to cover Leah's medical and physio bills to date, but the full compensation figure is still being assessed. Both have been undergoing rehabilitation for their injuries. Their front carriage on The Smiler rollercoaster hit a broken-down carriage on the track with the force of a 90 mph car crash. 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Miss Balch has said she does not see the point in being angry about what happened. I want lots of candles and fairylights.. "Vickys determination, courage and excellent approach to the tough challenges she has faced since the accident has been inspiring, she has a fantastic nature and with her forthcoming wedding is proof that life goes on after serious injury.. The 24-year-old was told about the pay-out last week when Merlin, owners of the Staffordshire theme park, agreed to settle her claim. Blood everywhere. She sometimes says thanks when I dont even notice Ive done anything extra. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". And Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a. Lawyer Paul Paxton said: "Our clients suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the accident. 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Smiler crash victim Joe Pugh and girlfriend Leah Washington, who had her leg amputated, tweeted their "disgust". When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? "The students involved further wish to apologise unreservedly to those affected by the Smiler incident for any offence or distress they may have unwittingly caused.". Vicky Balch, then 19, and Leah Washington, then 17, were. "The university is aware of the SU's initial investigations regarding this matter and its media statement issued today," it said.