A team of lawyers and psychologists from the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) will assist victims of the Strépy-Bracquegnies tragedy and their relatives when it comes to the steps that need to be taken following the accident, the association announced on Friday in a press release.
“For the past 10 days, the AWSR's Road Victim Support department has been working closely with the police victim support services that assisted the victims of the Strépy-Bracquegnies accident,” the agency said.
“After the intervention of the frontline services, the team of lawyers and psychologists of the AWSR can now take over to accompany the victims and their relatives in the steps following the accident.”
Psychological suffering, but also administrative paperwork
While the Strépy-Bracquegnies tragedy was unique, road accidents are not: in 2021, road accidents claimed nearly 13,000 victims in Wallonia, 187 of whom lost their lives.
“Between the psychological suffering, the physical after-effects, the administrative and legal procedures, the period following the accident is indeed a real obstacle course that physically and psychologically weakened victims are not always able to complete alone,” said AWSR.
The AWSR provides victims with free assistance via its hotline 081/821.321 and road accident victim support department.
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That assistance can include referrals to specific services and specialised professionals, precise information on insurance, help carrying out important legal procedures or simply the offering of a place to talk.
“The team is available in the days/weeks following the accident, so that victims can receive support quickly, but also much later. Moreover, this support can be extended over a long period of time, as long as the victims feel the need for it.”
The AWSR emphasised that it is available to all road victims who may need it, either via their hotline, website or by emailing infovictimes@awsr.be.
