A woman who sued national water agency PUB for $5 million after she fell into a manhole and accepted a confidential settlement offer on the fourth day of trial will have to pay overall legal costs of $30,000 to the national water agency.
Yesterday, the High Court awarded costs of $40,000 to Madam Chan Hui Peng, 47, for legal work done from the day she filed the suit in 2018 to the day the offer to settle was made by PUB on Nov 10 this year.
But Judicial Commissioner Andre Maniam also awarded PUB costs of $70,000, comprising $48,000 for three days of trial and $22,000 for two amendments Madam Chan made to her claim.
The chartered accountant filed a suit against PUB on Oct 15, 2018, claiming damages for injuries, including a fractured ankle and post-traumatic stress disorder that she allegedly suffered as a result of the accident in Simon Road, near Kovan, on Dec 1, 2015.
On Oct 5 this year, her claim was amended to include her recent diagnosis of schizophrenia as one of the injuries.
PUB accepted 70 per cent of the liability for the accident but disputed the nature and extent of her injuries.