A Melbourne grandmother has launched legal action against Yarra Trams after she was injured while onboard a tram in 2021.
Marina Kirby was on the 109 tram when the driver allegedly hit the brakes while travelling on a straight section.
Kirby said she was thrown from her seat and suffered six broken ribs, a broken finger, a shattered kneecap and torn meniscus, and a twisted ankle in the accident.
“There’s no reason to stop like that, absolutely nothing,” Kirby told 9News.
Since the accident, the 70-year-old has suffered debilitating pain.
Her left leg has swollen to more than twice the size of her left.
“There’s constant bleeding,” Kirby said.
Her daughter Rachael Kirby said her mother’s quality of life had become significantly worse than it was before the accident.
Left with ongoing serious medical issues, the grandmother-of-four is now taking legal action against YarraTrams.
“I didn’t want to retire – I was forced into retirement,” she said.
Tamara Wright from the legal firm Shine Layers is now representing Kirby in her action against Tarra Trams.
“She was travelling on a section of the tram track that was light rail, which means it was unlikely that there were vehicles or pedestrians in the way,” Wright said.
Marina claimed the driver did not bother to help when she was lying on the ground.
She was allegedly told to get off the tram so it wouldn’t be late.
“I should have been taken straight to the hospital,” Kirby said.
Kirby also wants Yarra Trams to invest in driver compassion training, to ensure her alleged treatment is not repeated.
