A woman who lost her leg in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers has received a multi-million pound payout. Vicky Balch says she has endured a wretched four years after losing her leg when The Smiler ride at Alton Towers was involved in a smash.

Following the tragic 2015 crash on The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers, the victims did receive substantial compensation payouts. Merlin Entertainments, the park's owner, admitted liability early in the legal process, which streamlined the path to settlement. For the most severely injured—Leah Washington and Vicky Balch, both of whom required leg amputations—compensation amounts were reported to be in the millions of pounds to cover lifelong medical care, prosthetic costs, and loss of earnings. Other passengers received payouts based on the severity of their physical injuries and psychological trauma, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition to the individual settlements, Merlin was fined £5 million by the Health and Safety Executive for "catastrophic failure" of safety protocols. These payouts are designed to provide "restitution" for the victims, ensuring they have the financial resources to navigate the long-term impacts of the incident, which remains one of the most significant legal cases in the history of the UK leisure industry.