SOLICITOR CALLS FOR COMPENSATION LAW CHANGE
Solicitor calls for compensation law change
MANY bereaved victims of the Omagh bombing will be further and greatly aggrieved when offered compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
That view was expressed by a local solicitor after Monday's meeting at Omagh District Council offices of traders with various agencies, and officials of the Northern Ireland Office.
He said there was a statutory death limit of �7,500, which may be topped up by an allowance for funeral expenses, unless claimants could prove dependency and future loss.
And Miss Mary Murnaghan, chairman of the local solicitors' association, said she would be concerned that there may be people who had not suffered physical injury, who were unaware they were entitled to claim for nervous shock.
She said: "My colleagues in the profession would be concerned that those who did come across the scene, and may have suffered shock, may not know they should file a notice of intention to claim, and they should do so within 28 days of the incident."
She advised anyone at the scene who had not already done so, to contact their solicitor immediately. Miss Murnaghan said all those at the scene should also make an individual statement to the RUC as soon as possible.
The time limit for criminal damage claims is 10 days only, and the solicitor who spoke to the 'Constitution' after Monday's meeting said he expected the Northern Ireland Office to play 'hardball'.
He went on: "I would expect them to be rigid on every front. The officer who spoke to businessmen today said they did not have a bottomless pit.
"I accept the NIO hands are tied, but if the Government is rushing through new anti-terrorist laws, perhaps they should consider retrospective legislation for terrorist victims. A tariff system could be introduced."
The solicitor said there was a threshhold (minimum claim) of �1,000 for pain and suffering, while the threshhold for nervous shock was �2,500.
"A lot of people who came across that bombing will be scarred mentally for a long time to come. Yet, if they do not receive regular counselling, or contact their GP, but decide to carry the burden alone - and that's the way many people in this area are - they will not get a penny," he said.
He also said he believed it was right to highlight the inequalities of the qualifications for compensation payments for those who helped at the scene.
"Ambulance staff, for example. sent to help victims do not quality, but an individual who heard the blast and rushed to the scene of his own volition does," the solicitor explained.
Compensation claims for death, injury and criminal damage are expected to top �20m, but the destruction and damage to property is estimated to account for just �3m of that.
MANY bereaved victims of the Omagh bombing will be further and greatly aggrieved when offered compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
That view was expressed by a local solicitor after Monday's meeting at Omagh District Council offices of traders with various agencies, and officials of the Northern Ireland Office.
He said there was a statutory death limit of �7,500, which may be topped up by an allowance for funeral expenses, unless claimants could prove dependency and future loss.
And Miss Mary Murnaghan, chairman of the local solicitors' association, said she would be concerned that there may be people who had not suffered physical injury, who were unaware they were entitled to claim for nervous shock.
She said: "My colleagues in the profession would be concerned that those who did come across the scene, and may have suffered shock, may not know they should file a notice of intention to claim, and they should do so within 28 days of the incident."
She advised anyone at the scene who had not already done so, to contact their solicitor immediately. Miss Murnaghan said all those at the scene should also make an individual statement to the RUC as soon as possible.
The time limit for criminal damage claims is 10 days only, and the solicitor who spoke to the 'Constitution' after Monday's meeting said he expected the Northern Ireland Office to play 'hardball'.
He went on: "I would expect them to be rigid on every front. The officer who spoke to businessmen today said they did not have a bottomless pit.
"I accept the NIO hands are tied, but if the Government is rushing through new anti-terrorist laws, perhaps they should consider retrospective legislation for terrorist victims. A tariff system could be introduced."
The solicitor said there was a threshhold (minimum claim) of �1,000 for pain and suffering, while the threshhold for nervous shock was �2,500.
"A lot of people who came across that bombing will be scarred mentally for a long time to come. Yet, if they do not receive regular counselling, or contact their GP, but decide to carry the burden alone - and that's the way many people in this area are - they will not get a penny," he said.
He also said he believed it was right to highlight the inequalities of the qualifications for compensation payments for those who helped at the scene.
"Ambulance staff, for example. sent to help victims do not quality, but an individual who heard the blast and rushed to the scene of his own volition does," the solicitor explained.
Compensation claims for death, injury and criminal damage are expected to top �20m, but the destruction and damage to property is estimated to account for just �3m of that.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0290
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
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