A woman is seeking six-figure damages at the High Court for the trauma she insists she is suffering after seeing a police motorcyclist die in a tragic road accident.

Mother-of-two Elizabeth Fagan claims her back pain and post-traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD) is a direct

result of the 1996 crash in which PC Roger Franklin was killed.

The 39 year old who was living in Princes Road, Wimbledon, when the accident happened was travelling behind another driver, Graham Goodman, and says his car hit the policemans motor cycle causing him to lose control.

At a separate trial Mr Goodman was found to be driving negligently and was ordered to pay damages to PC Franklins widow.

But Mrs Fagan believes that she too should receive compensation for the stress and pain she sustained when her car hit the kerb after she swerved to the side of the road.

In her witness statement to the court, Mrs Fagan claimed she was not motivated by money.

She said: No amount of money will give me back my peace of mind. It appals me to think that some people think I am either making up or exaggerating my symptoms.

Mrs Fagan told the court her

life has gone completely

to pieces.

But defence lawyers said the claimant was not presenting a true picture of her physical or psychiatric state and claimed Mrs Fagan had a borderline personality disorder and was motivated by the prospect of gaining compensation.

As the Guardian went to press, the hearing had concluded but judge Mr Justice Turner had yet to give his judgment.