Grenfell Tower Fire: How do you put a price on a loved one who lost their life?

The Grenfell Tower fire was one of the worst housing disasters to ever happen in the UK. 

The tragedy led to the deaths of 72 people after a fire engulfed a tower block in west London in 2017. 

Now, almost six years on from the disaster, a £150 million compensation agreement has been reached for families affected by the tragedy. 

The compensation claim alleged several organisations involved in the refurbishment of the tower “separately and cumulatively led to or contributed to the disaster."

But how do you put a price on a loved one who lost their life?

Images of people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Fire disaster Credit: Getty

THE VALUE OF A LIFE

£15,120.

That’s the official value put on the life of a loved one who died in an accident that wasn’t their fault in England and Wales. 

This is known as ‘bereavement damages.'

Before they were increased in May 2020, the damages were just £12,980. 

It is currently unknown whether this amount has been applied for grieving families involved in the £150 million Grenfell compensation claim.

Industry experts, such as the Association of Public Injury Lawyers (APIL), have been campaigning for the amount of money awarded through bereavement damages to increase and for more family members to be eligible for the compensation. 

The president of APIL, John McQuater, told The News Movement: “When someone is killed at work or on the road because of someone else’s negligence, some relatives are eligible for compensation to help atone for their loss.

“But the system is out-of-touch and needs proper reform if it is ever to deliver justice for grieving relatives. 

“In England and Wales, your loved one’s life costs the wrongdoer just £15,120.”

Survivors and family members of people involved in the Grenfell fire Credit: Getty

Mr McQuater, who did not speak specifically about the Grenfell compensation settlement, added: “It is literally cheaper for a negligent employer to kill employees than to maim them.”

So far, the UK government has resisted changes to the law on bereavement damages.

The Ministry of Justice said the exisiting legal framework "represents a reasonable, proportionate and practical approach."

The president of APIL called this a “sickening display of indifference” towards grieving relatives.

HOW IS COMPENSATION CALCULATED?

There are a number of different factors that are taken into account when calculating a compensation sum for those who lost loved ones or were affected by a disaster. 

Lawyers usually base the compensation on an individual’s specific circumstances and look at:

• Whether they lost a loved one
• The pain and suffering caused
• Whether they suffered mental and/or physical injuries 
• Costs such as funeral bills

There may also be dependency damages for a child or a dependent partner who has been left behind. 

Lawyers will also look at property damages for those who lost their home as well as the value of items lost in the tragedy. 

The compensation is usually split into two categories - general and special damages.

General damages cover actual injuries, medical conditions and ongoing suffering, while special damages cover the cost of financial losses. 

The details on how the £150 million Grenfell compensation sum was calculated or how it will be shared are not known.

The compensation settlement does not include an admission of any wrongdoing by the organisations involved.

People place white roses in memory of the victims at a Grenfell fire memorial service at Westminster Abbey on June 14, 2022 Credit: Getty

THE PROCESS COMES WITH CHALLENGES

Some of the UK’s worst disasters, including Hillsborough, the 7/7 bombings, the Manchester Arena attack and the Grenfell Tower fire, have involved a compensation process. 

David Greene, a lawyer who specialises in this area, said compensation agreements can bring a sense of closure.

However, for some, the journey leading up to and receiving compensation can be difficult. 

Mr Greene, of Edwin Coe LLP, who did not have clients in the Grenfell Tower compensation claim said: “There is huge emotion in these cases."

Mr Greene added that resolutions like these “converts often death, pain and suffering into money as though it is the value of those personal events”.

The News Movement spoke with grieving family members, local residents and a survivor who criticised the £150 million Grenfell Tower compensation deal. 

You can read more about their concerns here.