Sadie Ann Jane McGrady · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 24th of July 2012 I commenced an investigation into the death of Sadie Ann Jane McGrady aged 6. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 13th of August 2013. The conclusion of the inquest was Accidental Death and the medical cause of death was Blunt Force Head Injury as a result of a Road Traffic Collision.

1. On the 22nd of July 2012 Sadie was a rear seat passenger in a Vauxhall Corsa Motor Vehicle Registration Number ████████ driven by her mother ████████ Her mother drove this vehicle out of a junction and across a dual carriageway into the path of an oncoming vehicle which then struck the vehicle in which Sadie was travelling, colliding with its offside.
2. The collision resulted in a significant intrusion of the “B” pillar and rear quarter wing into the vehicle impacting with Sadie’s head causing severe head injuries which resulted in her death.

(1) Evidence was given by ████████ Advanced Police Vehicle Examiner indicating that the Vauxhall Corsa was the subject of a category D, total loss insurance claim in May 2008, the insurance claim relating to (inter alia) a crumpled rear offside sill member and adjacent quarter panel and a dented driver’s door. Various repairs had been undertaken to the vehicle and the examiner was concerned by the quality of the repair to the rear offside quarter panel. He noted that it did not comply to the recognised industry repair method and was substandard as there had been unnecessary removal of the complete spot weld resulting in the separation of all 3 panels forming part of the laminated “B” pillar structure and inadequate quality and insufficient mig welding to attach the replacement quarter panel compromising the integrity of the “B” pillar structure.
(2) The consequence of this substandard repair undoubtedly resulted in greater intrusion into the passenger cell when the vehicle was subjected to a severe broadside impact, which in turn may have increased the likelihood of the occupants sustaining serious injury.
(3) The evidence of ████████ Home Office Forensic Pathologist, indicated that the head injuries sustained by Sadie were the result of her head impacting against the intruded rear quarter panel and had this not intruded so much as a result of the collision then it is possible that she may not have sustained such severe head injuries and may well have survived the collision.
(4) Forensic Collision Investigator ████████ indicated in his evidence that in circumstances where there had been a category D write off, there were no independent checks undertaken on repaired vehicles before they returned to the road and that the MOT process would be unlikely to establish that the structure/integrity of a damaged vehicle had been compromised by a substandard repair.
(5) The above matters give rise to a concern that there exists the uncontrolled sale and repair of insurance write offs as a result of which future deaths may occur when previously written off vehicles are back on the road and involved in collisions.