Accident news
24/03/2011

Car crash compensation not pursued after gas tank accident

Car crash compensation claims could have been rife in Devon after a recent accident, if events had unfolded differently.

The incident occurred when, after having finished using the hand car-wash facilities at Churston Farm Shop near the main road to Brixham, a woman driver reversed and hit a 2,000-litre tank which was filled with liquid petroleum gas.

The shop owner explained, "The car went through a wooden fence, through reinforced steel bollards and then hit the gas tank."

A witness to the crash stated, "This woman seemed to have been stuck in reverse and I had to get out of the way. The whole thing lasted about half a minute."

Paramedics arrived to make sure the motorist was unharmed. She escaped personal injury, but she was still taken to Torbay Hospital for shock.

Police and fire crew evacuated everyone from the area, setting up a 1,000 metre perimeter exclusion area around the site in case of explosion while the vehicle was carefully removed from the tank.

No one was hurt in the accident, but the woman liable for the incident could have had car crash compensation claims made against her if there had been any casualties.