A thought-provoking animation film has been launched to highlight the impact of grief and the support that is available in Scotland.

Partnering with leading Scottish bereavement charity, Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland on the animation, the idea was developed after personal injury lawyers, Watermans Solicitors, identified a need to support potential claimants who have suffered the sudden loss of a loved one following a fatal incident.

Victoria Lebrec, Head of Campaigns for RoadPeace, said:

“At RoadPeace we see first-hand the impact of losing a loved one. Five people are killed every day in road crashes in Britain, and these deaths leave behind families who are grieving.”

“It’s absolutely vital that support services like RoadPeace and Cruse exist, as the trauma associated with a sudden, violent death requires specialist support. National Grief Awareness day is an opportunity to hear from the many people across Britain who are grieving.”

Scott Whyte, Managing Director at Watermans, said:

“Bereavement is a difficult subject and our team of solicitors have worked closely with relatives of sudden death victims in helping them to achieve justice and compensation for the losses they have faced.

“We can offer practical support in terms of helping a family receive answers such as why an accident happened by instructing liability experts to investigate the accident circumstances and practical financial support in cases where there has been real financial difficulty, such as securing interim damages to cover the cost of the funeral of the person who has died.

“There have been cases where the person that died was the main or sole earner in the household and the financial strain of suddenly losing a that person can have a significant effect on the surviving family members.  Our aim is to take care of those practical issues where we can and allow the relatives to focus on the grieving process.

“But whilst we offer legal advice to people who have faced the pain of losing a loved one, we realised that there is still more to be done when it comes to discussing the subject of grief and helping to support bereaved individuals.

“We have teamed up with bereavement charity Cruse to highlight the impact of grief and the different stages that people face when it comes to losing someone who was close to them.”

Having acted for a significant number of families who have lost relatives as a result of road crashes or accidents at work, the team at Watermans know that it is never a case of “one size fits all” when it comes to helping people through such a difficult situation.

Scott continued:

“Everyone grieves in their own way and people’s needs both through the grieving process and the process of pursuing a claim also vary from person to person.  Our role is to offer the best advice we can and be as supportive as we can to our clients.

“The suddenness of losing a loved one from an accident at work or road crash can make dealing with that loss all the harder as it leaves families with no chance to prepare themselves or to say goodbye.

“With this campaign we are highlighting something that people may not want to think about but reminding them that, should the unthinkable happen to them, they are not alone and they have professionals who can help them in their greatest time of need.

“Whilst we aren’t able to turn the clock back, with the right support we can try and make the future that bit more bearable and manageable for people who have suffered a tragic loss.”

The animations feature a number of clips highlighting the impact that grief can have on different types of people, such as a couple who have lost a child, an elderly widow and a young male who feels the impact of grief at work.

It is a particularly poignant subject considering the psychological impact of coronavirus related grief experienced by many during the global pandemic.

Christine McLintock, chair of Cruse Scotland, said:

“Around one in five bereaved people need professional support to help them through their grief journey.

“I am very pleased that we have been able to partner with Watermans Solicitors to launch this beautifully produced animation. It is important that we raise awareness of the tremendous impact of grief, and how lonely it can make people feel.

“If the animation can inspire one person to reach out for help or to help someone who is grieving, then it will have been worthwhile.”

“Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland provides professional support for bereaved adults, children and families across Scotland, often following sudden and traumatic death.

“We also train and educate individuals and organisations to help bereaved people. We can be reached through our national bereavement helpline on 08456002227. To find out more visit our website at www.crusescotland.org.uk.”

The campaign has also been backed by road victims’ charity RoadPeace, which is a corporate partner of Watermans.

Updated on: 2 September 2020