Ten injured in Clutha pub tragedy awarded compensation

Victims of the Clutha tragedy have been awarded damages from the owners of the helicopter firm.

Solicitors for ten people injured in the crash said their cases had now been settled, helping them “get their lives back on track''.

Newspaper reports suggest the figure paid out totalled £1.3million.

Lawyers said “no amount of money'' could alter the events of November 29 2013, when a police helicopter crashed onto the roof of the busy Clutha pub in Glasgow, killing ten people.

Mark Gibson of Digby Brown Solicitors said: “The Clutha tragedy was an unprecedented event that caused devastation for hundreds, if not thousands, of people across the country.

“No amount of money can prevent the life-changing events of that night in 2013.

“But compensation does give these individuals the means to get their lives back on track so they can focus on recovering with their loved ones.

“To respect our clients' privacy we will not discuss individual cases, however we can confirm our cases have now settled.''

Compensation claims were made to Babcock, which owns the firm that operated the helicopter, for post-traumatic stress, serious brain or spinal injuries.

Irwin Mitchell Scotland, representing 16 others affected by the crash, said on October 20 that cases had settled for undisclosed amounts.

David Bell from the legal firm said: “The individual cases for those who were injured and the family members of those who sadly died have all now concluded and our clients are seeking to move on from this tragedy.

“But there is still more that can be done: we and our clients would still like to see a Fatal Accident Inquiry as soon as possible as we believe that there are more lessons to learn, both about the accident itself and its aftermath.

“One of the issues with this crash was the helicopter was not required to be fitted with a black box recorded which means vital data was not recorded.

“We think the regulations should be changed to ensure all smaller passenger aircraft are required to have black box recorders fitted.'