Sarah de Lagarde’s life changed when she was crushed by two tube trains at High Barnet

A WOMAN who was fitted with a bionic arm after being run over by two tube trains is taking legal action against transport chiefs.

Sarah de Lagarde has warned that “serious safety failings” led to her falling on the tracks and being undetected for 15 minutes despite screams for help.

The 45-year-old, who lives in Camden Town, said she had been “stone-walled” by Transport for London (TfL) over calls for safety changes.

She said: “My life has been completely and irreversibly changed. It has left me with injuries which affect every aspect of my life and I will need continuing care for the rest of my life.

“Devastatingly, one of the impacts is that I can no longer drive which means my children now have to use the tube network more frequently, which leaves me sick to my stomach with worry.

“Despite repeated attempts to engage with TfL I feel like I am being stonewalled. So many people have come forward to tell me of their safety fears and near misses. We live in the greatest city in the world and yet we have a dated tube network which I believe is putting millions of people at risk every day.”

The New Journal reported on the disaster in 2022 and has followed Ms de Lagarde’s recovery since she slipped and fell on the tracks at High Barnet.

She has been fitted with a state-of-the-art bionic arm that is operated by impulses from the brain. Her leg was also amputated.

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Ms de Lagarde is fighting for accountability and recognition for what happened to her. She is urging TfL to learn lessons from what happened to her for the benefit of all passengers who use the transport system. She has raised questions in her legal claim about whether London Underground’s own safety procedures were breached and whether they are even fit for purpose.

North London-based law firm Leigh Day & Co have sent a pre-action protocol letter, the first step in legal proceedings, to TfL on Sarah’s behalf. Detailed allegations have been put forward alongside a request for TfL to admit liability and start helping Sarah to rebuild her life.

To date, no response to the allegations has been received.

Thomas Jervis, a partner at the firm, said: “What happened to Sarah really should have been a wake-up call to TfL that improvements were needed to ensure the safety of all passengers. The way she has been treated so far is unacceptable and she will not stop until her voice is heard. Sarah and all users of the London transport system deserve so much better.”