A LAWYER at the centre of the Clutha disaster compensation battle said it has been "one of the most challenging cases" he has ever worked on.

Andrew Henderson is head of the Serious and Fatal Injuries Unit at Thompsons Solicitors and his team of lawyers represent 31 Clutha victims caught up in the tragedy when a helicopter crashed on to the Clutha pub in Glasgow city centre on November 29 last year.

Andrew, 47, from the South Side of Glasgow, who has been a lawyer for 23 years, has acted on behalf of victims of some of the Scotland's most high-profile and shocking accidents.

He has helped families involved in the Stockline explosion in Maryhill and the sinking on the Clyde of the Flying Phantom tug boat.

But he said: "What you've always got to remember about the Clutha tragedy are the unique circumstances.

"People out enjoying themselves, having a pint and listening to live music were caught up in the most awful incident.

"Many of the legal aspects were straight- forward in that the liability of who was at fault was clear from the start but the range of injuries and the needs of the families affected are all different.

"This means that my team make sure that each victim's personal circum-stances have complete focus. It can take time but it's the only way to make sure that people get every penny in compensation they deserve."

Andrew said families face not only the mental and physical pain of being involved in such a disaster, or grieving for a family member, but they also have to deal with big insurance companies with their "slick legal teams".

He added: "I suppose that's one of the things that I feel we can make a real difference with.

"We do everything we can to make sure that the Clutha victims are shown care and compassion but that their legal rights are robustly defended."

One of the key members of his team handling the compensation cases for Clutha victims is Nicola Kelly. The 28-year-old, from Battlefield in Glasgow, is in daily contact with victims and their families.

Nicola said "I've started taking night classes for a qualification in counselling and that's helped me in terms of understanding what people are going through.

"They are scared and angry but it's humbling when you speak with someone who's been badly injured or has lost a loved one but is so determined to keep on fighting.

"It can be harrowing when people have to relive that night and tell you in detail what happened to them. The most important thing for me is that everyone is treated as an individual and their cases are given complete attention.

"I'm in this job because I care about helping people and you'll never find a braver and more decent group of people than the Clutha families"

Two other big law firms, Digby Brown and Irwin Mitchell are also battling for compensation for victims and their families.

janice.burns@eveningtimes.co.uk