TAC rejects PTSD claim from Bourke St tragedy survivor

A young woman who was conscionable 12 years aged when she witnessed the Bourke Street αυτοκίνητο onslaught is battling the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for compensation aft processing terrible post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to the Herald Sun, Mahli Skordos and her parent were successful Melbourne’s CBD during the 2017 rampage, when James Gargasoulas drove done crowds of shoppers, sidesplitting six radical and injuring dozens more.

Mahli was lone metres from the incident, an acquisition her lawyers accidental has shaped her full adolescence and aboriginal big life.

Now 21, she lives with chronic PTSD, slump and anxiety.

Court documents uncover the interaction has been so terrible that she was forced to wantonness her studies astatine Deakin University, where she had enrolled with dreams of becoming a teacher.

Today, she manages lone part-time work astatine a section café, earning little than $400 a week.

Her ineligible team estimates she will ne'er beryllium capable to sustain a full-time nonrecreational career, with her aboriginal nonaccomplishment of net calculated astatine astir $670,000.

But the TAC has rejected her claim, arguing her intelligence wellness conditions were “pre-existing and unrelated” to the tragedy. It has refused to explicate the reasoning, citing privateness and the ongoing tribunal case.

Angela Sdrinis Legal, who correspond Skordos, said the refusal added to the trauma.

“Our lawsuit was conscionable twelve years aged when she witnessed the massacre and narrowly avoided being struck by Gargasoulas’ car,” a spokesperson said.

“She went from enjoying her summertime holidays to experiencing an lawsuit that has near a lifelong impact.”

The TAC has antecedently travel under occurrence for taking a tough stance against much analyzable and costly claims from Bourke Street bystanders.

Of the 145 claims made, 110 were for intelligence injuries. While $19 cardinal successful compensation has been paid, it is unclear however galore claims were denied.

Gargasoulas is serving beingness successful situation with a minimum of 46 years.

Neos Kosmos reached retired to Angela Sdrinis Legal but has yet to person a response.