A Melbourne driver injured when a giant sign fell from a freeway gantry, crushing her car, plans to sue for compensation.
Nella Lettieri, 53, was lucky to survive when a four-by-five-metre steel sign fell from above the Tullamarine freeway, near Essendon Airport, about 5.30pm on January 8.
The state government has asked VicRoads that immediate assistance be provided to Ms Lettieri, but her legal counsel says she will pursue the matter legally.
"She's got severe headaches, she suffered significant trauma to the head," her lawyer Tony Carbone told AAP.
"The cabin was crushed and it struck her in the head."
Ms Lettieri suffered a crushing injury to her neck, was having trouble sleeping and was constantly reliving the incident, causing mental distress, he said.
"It's turned her life upside down," Mr Carbone said.
The legal process will be long - Ms Lettieri has to apply to the Transport Accident Commission for her injury to be recognised, which could take eight to 12 months, Mr Carbone said.
After this, she can lodge a suit against VicRoads, Transurban and any other potentially responsible parties for injuries and loss of work.
"Clearly this was a traumatic experience and that's why the government instructed VicRoads to reach out and provide every support possible to the woman involved," acting Premier Jacinta Allan said on Wednesday.
"There are some legal matters that need to be settled and I can well understand from the woman involved in this incident that she wants them settled quickly."
Transurban said in a statement until the full findings of an ongoing investigation are considered, it was too early to make a definitive statement on the cause and who is responsible.
"(We) understand this has been difficult for Nella and her family. That's why we are working around the clock to complete the investigation and ensure we get to the bottom of what occurred," Transurban's David Clements said.
"If we had any immediate concerns about the safety of CityLink we wouldn't allow people to travel along it."
Both VicRoads and Transurban are in contact with Ms Lettieri on the investigation.
On Sunday VicRoads said initial investigations by Transurban found a stiffener plate was not installed in the gantry.
"The preliminary findings have determined that the failure has occurred at the connection of the vertical structural sign supports to the horizontal gantry beam," the statement read.
An audit of 17 gantries with similar sign support, installed by the same contractor as part of the CityLink Tullamarine Widening Project, found plates missing in two other gantries.
While there were no signs of stress or deterioration, they have been removed.
Stiffener plates were not required to support any of the other similar signs installed in the same project, VicRoads said.
