| [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Title[/FONT] | : | [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Thai girl who lost both legs takes the stand in lawsuit against SMRT, LTA [/FONT] |
| [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By[/FONT] | : | [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT] |
| [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Date[/FONT] | : | [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 29 October 2012 1533 hrs (SST) [/FONT] |
| [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]URL[/FONT] | : | [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1234145/1/.html [/FONT] |
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] SINGAPORE: The Thai teenager who lost both her legs after falling onto the train tracks last year was back in Singapore on Monday.
She is seeking compensation of at least S$3.5 million from both train operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Ms Pen-Eakchanasak Nitcharee fell at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on April 3, 2011, when she was 14 years old. She had been waiting behind the yellow line of the platform at about 11am when she fell and was run over by a South-bound train.
At that time, the teenager was in Singapore to study the English language.
Ms Pen-Eakchanasak Nitcharee, now 16, told the court she did not faint on the day of the incident. She insisted that media reports -- stating she was "giddy" -- were inaccurate.
Asked by the defendants' lawyer, Mr Anparasan Kamachi, she also denied being told by doctors who treated her after the incident that she had fainted. She said she has no history of fainting and has never been admitted to hospital prior to the incident.
Represented by lawyer Cosmas Gomez, Ms Nitcharee alleged that despite taking all precautions and standing behind the yellow line, she was injured.
Her lawyer said SMRT and LTA were fully aware of the risk of a fall but took no measures or inadequate measures to deter such an incident.
The Thai girl's case alleges that SMRT and LTA had breached their common duty of care, duty as occupiers of the train station, among other things.
In a defence filed by SMRT and LTA in February 2012, the two defendants denied liability to the plaintiff. Both parties now have to establish if SMRT and LTA are liable for her injuries.
During the hearing, the defendants' lawyer told the court he would play a video clip of what happened in the lead up to the incident.
However, this prompted the judicial commissioner to question the relevance of playing the five-minute video. The move also prompted Ms Nitcharee's objections, who told the court through her translator that she did not want to view the video clip.
Ms Nitcharee will leave for Thailand on Wednesday. However, the hearing, which is slated for 15 days, continues.
-CNA[/FONT]
