Looters are losers
But are they really? This is the question I ask myself as the business and wider community of Manchester begin to pick up the pieces and count the cost of the rioting on Tuesday.
As I sat in my comfortable home in the suburbs of Greater Manchester on Tuesday evening, I watched in horror at the destruction caused by this minority, unable to fully realise the enormity of the situation. The following day in work, it became apparent how serious the situation had been. Our Manchester office, along with other countless businesses in the City, were advised to close at 4pm that day to ensure the safety of our employees. How terrifying that must have been for those staff.
The safety of our staff was of course, paramount, but even shutting up shop early wasn’t enough protection for some people. I’m aware of people who simply could not get out of the city, as buses and trams were very limited, and who remained trapped in the City, as it emptied of people and became flooded with police and rioters. They had nowhere to go, and no means of getting to safety.
In other cities, innocent workers and shoppers were trying desperately to get home, only to find themselves being attacked by gangs. One commuter was pushed down a stairwell in a tube station and sustained a fractured ankle, another was held up at knife point by a gang of youths. This, I am sure is only the tip of the iceberg and there will be doubtless many other, similar stories to be heard.
These, innocent people, along with business owners, have suffered considerably as a result of these rioters and their criminality – but who will pay for those crimes?
Insurance, in the most part, will cover a large number of the losses, and the Government will also assist in helping compensate businesses who have been wiped out by looters. But who will help those innocent bystanders who got caught up and injured in the ensuing melee?
There is the possibility of submitting a CICA claim, but these are subject to strict criteria, and do take time, but surely that’s better than receiving nothing? We are specialists in dealing with CICA claims, and run such claims on a contingency basis (which means we are paid a sum equivalent to a proportion of the CICA award). We will happily look at any situation were an innocent bystander has been injured as a result of the rioting and associated criminal activity.
Whilst we will count the cost of the horrific events of the last few days, we can seek some consolation in the fact that it was the minority who were responsible for these terrible acts, and that there are many ways we can assist in people and business getting back on their feet. The huge gathering of volunteers the following day to assist in the clean up, and the numerous stories of communities clubbing together to clean up, has reminded me that by and large, we are a caring breed, and that there are plenty of good people out there. Together, we can overcome the minority, and help return our great city of Manchester, to it’s former glory.
By personal injury solicitor and Stephensons’ Partner, Kate Sweeney
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