The widow of a family man killed in the Croydon tram disaster says a “substantial” damages settlement from Transport for London is just the first hurdle in her struggle to come to terms with losing her “lovely and generous” husband.
Marilyn Logan, 64, was left bereft after the death of her husband Philip, 52, in the derailment on November 9, 2016, which killed seven people and injured 50.
Eighteen months on, she has now received a ‘substantial’ compensation settlement from the London transport operator, but says the lack of any criminal proceedings to date, combined with a "lack of compassion" that has been shown to those who lost loved ones, has left her "angry and bitter."
“I may now have a damages settlement for losing my wonderful husband, but it doesn’t bring closure for me as we still have the inquests into the deaths and a court case to go through," she said.
"This is just the first hurdle for me.
“I am still very bitter towards TfL, just for the way they’ve reacted to things, or not reacted."
Mr Logan was killed when travelling on the tram running from New Addington to Wimbledon. It was on the approach to Sandilands tram stop soon after 6am when it derailed.
A report into the tragedy by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), published in December 2017, found that driver Alfred Dorris had probably “dozed off” moments before the accident, and that the tram had been travelling three times the speed limit. The limit was 12.5mph and investigations showed it was travelling at 43.5mph.
Mr Logan, a bricklayer who had been on his regular journey to work, was killed instantly after being thrown from the carriage. He died as a result of severe head and chest injuries.
The compensation settlement was agreed by TfL after Mrs Logan was represented by personal injury specialists Hudgell Solicitors.
“The counselling did help as I wasn’t in a good way, and I was burying everything. The counsellor taught me how not to bury it, and how to deal with the grief,” she said.
“The settlement doesn’t end it for any of us though. It doesn’t bring closure yet, as we still have the inquests and a court case to go through. This is just the first hurdle for me and it has all left me angry and bitter.’
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