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Aug 24, 2009
Husband, son sue bus driver
By Selina Lum
Madam Wang Ruiyun (left), 44, was in Singapore as a 'study mama' to put her son, then 13, through primary school here. --ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
THE husband and teenage son of a Chinese woman killed in a traffic accident two years ago has sued the bus driver and bus company for compensation.
Mr Luo Zhiqiang, 46, and his son, Kaipeng, 15, who are both in China, are seeking more than $250,000.
The case was heard in the High Court on Monday. Lawyers for both sides will make closing arguments at a later date.
However, the current trial deals only with the issue of liability; the payout sum will be determined at a separate hearing.
Madam Wang Ruiyun, 44, was in Singapore as a 'study mama' to put her son, then 13, through primary school here.
She worked as a machine operator with a bakery, but according to court papers in the lawsuit, she held part-time jobs as a cleaner, gave home tuition and distributed flyers.
On the night of Sept 11, 2007, she was crossing a traffic junction at Rochor Road when she was hit by a Malayian-registered bus driven by Mr Lai Fook Siang.
Pinned under the bus, she was dragged for 9.3m and died on the spot.
Mr Lai, then 41, a Malaysian, was jailed three weeks in December 2007 after pleading guilty to causing death by negligence.
He was also banned from driving for five years.
Last October, Mr Luo and Kaipeng filed a suit against Mr Lai and Handal Indah, the Malaysian company that owns the bus, claiming various types of damages.
In their lawsuit, they said they have lost a means of support with her death.
Madam Wang, who earned just under $1,500 a month from her bakery job and $800 from part-time jobs, was supporting her son and partially supporting her husband.
Their claims also include $5,888 for a funeral in Singapore, $15,170.69 for a funeral in China, $2,583.42 in airfare for Mr Luo to bring back her ashes to China, and $3,230 in airfare for the boy to attend her China funeral.
The teenager is also claiming for psychiatric injuries suffered as a result of what happened to his mother.
Their lawyer, Mr M. Nagarajah, contended in his opening statement that Mr Lai is wholly liable for the accident as Madam Wang was crossing the road lawfully.
The defendants asserted that the accident was partly caused by Madam Wang's negligence while crossing the road. They argued that she failed to keep a proper lookout and walked into the path of the bus, giving Mr Lai no reasonable opportunity to avoid the accident.
Aug 24, 2009
Husband, son sue bus driver
By Selina Lum
Madam Wang Ruiyun (left), 44, was in Singapore as a 'study mama' to put her son, then 13, through primary school here. --ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
THE husband and teenage son of a Chinese woman killed in a traffic accident two years ago has sued the bus driver and bus company for compensation.
Mr Luo Zhiqiang, 46, and his son, Kaipeng, 15, who are both in China, are seeking more than $250,000.
The case was heard in the High Court on Monday. Lawyers for both sides will make closing arguments at a later date.
However, the current trial deals only with the issue of liability; the payout sum will be determined at a separate hearing.
Madam Wang Ruiyun, 44, was in Singapore as a 'study mama' to put her son, then 13, through primary school here.
She worked as a machine operator with a bakery, but according to court papers in the lawsuit, she held part-time jobs as a cleaner, gave home tuition and distributed flyers.
On the night of Sept 11, 2007, she was crossing a traffic junction at Rochor Road when she was hit by a Malayian-registered bus driven by Mr Lai Fook Siang.
Pinned under the bus, she was dragged for 9.3m and died on the spot.
Mr Lai, then 41, a Malaysian, was jailed three weeks in December 2007 after pleading guilty to causing death by negligence.
He was also banned from driving for five years.
Last October, Mr Luo and Kaipeng filed a suit against Mr Lai and Handal Indah, the Malaysian company that owns the bus, claiming various types of damages.
In their lawsuit, they said they have lost a means of support with her death.
Madam Wang, who earned just under $1,500 a month from her bakery job and $800 from part-time jobs, was supporting her son and partially supporting her husband.
Their claims also include $5,888 for a funeral in Singapore, $15,170.69 for a funeral in China, $2,583.42 in airfare for Mr Luo to bring back her ashes to China, and $3,230 in airfare for the boy to attend her China funeral.
The teenager is also claiming for psychiatric injuries suffered as a result of what happened to his mother.
Their lawyer, Mr M. Nagarajah, contended in his opening statement that Mr Lai is wholly liable for the accident as Madam Wang was crossing the road lawfully.
The defendants asserted that the accident was partly caused by Madam Wang's negligence while crossing the road. They argued that she failed to keep a proper lookout and walked into the path of the bus, giving Mr Lai no reasonable opportunity to avoid the accident.
