Sarah de Lagarde hit by two underground trains at High Barnet station
A woman who lost an arm and a leg after being hit by two Tube trains has filed a legal claim against Transport for London (TfL) in the High Court.
Sarah de Lagarde was on her way home from work on September 30, 2022, when she fell onto the track at High Barnet.
She was run over by the train she was riding as it was leaving the station, and was then run over by another train.
TfL’s Nick Dent said his thoughts were with Ms Lagarde following the “devastating incident”.
Lagarde, from Camden, north London, said she slipped on a wet, uneven platform.
As a result of her injuries, she had to have her right arm and right leg amputated.
She was then fitted with a prosthetic leg and arm using AI technology.
Mr de Lagarde remained on the tracks for 15 minutes unnoticed by staff despite cries for help due to a series of safety failings by TfL, the legal claim says.
The claims call into question whether TfL breached its own safety procedures and whether those procedures were fit for purpose.
“People at risk”
Mr de Lagarde said: ‘This incident has left me with serious injuries and has affected every aspect of my life, but TfL continues to deny any liability and continues to address the serious safety concerns raised. “
“What happened to me can happen to anyone and since my accident I have been contacted by many people who have safety concerns or who have experienced near misses on the Tube network.
“I think TfL puts millions of people at risk every day.
“It is vital that we learn lessons from my incident to create a safer network for everyone and prevent incidents like this from happening again.”
‘Inappropriate’
She said the Mayor of London’s office had refused a request to meet with Sadiq Khan, despite intervention from Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Khan is Chair of the TfL Board.
She said: ‘My local MP, Keir Starmer, has asked Sadiq to meet with me to discuss the wider safety issues my case raises and whether any lessons can be learned. -I asked Khan.
“Sadiq Khan’s office rejected my request. They felt that the meeting was inappropriate.”
A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “The Mayor’s thoughts remain with Sarah and her loved ones. The Mayor has asked for updates and is very keen to meet Sarah once the case is resolved. “There is,” he said.
Mr Dent, London Underground’s director of customer affairs, said: “TfL is responding to the legal claims brought by lawyers on behalf of Sarah de Lagarde and is not in a position to comment further publicly.”
“However, following the devastating incident at High Barnet station, our thoughts remain with Sarah and her family and we have been providing direct support to her through the Sarah Hope Line.
“Safety is our top priority and we will continue to take all possible steps to learn from every incident and implement appropriate improvements.”
An investigation into Mr de Lagarde’s accident was carried out by TfL and the Rail and Road Accident Investigation Agency was notified, but it concluded that no further investigation was necessary.
Law firm Leigh Day brought the claim against TfL in the High Court on behalf of Ms Lagarde.