Injured lift operator wins $10m payout
A man confined to a wheelchair after a box of tiles fell on his head and snapped his spine was awarded more than $10 million in damages yesterday.
Mr Justice Azizul Suffiad awarded the money to lift operator Fung Kwok-ki, 41, after finding Tak Sing Construction Engineering liable for the accident that happened in July 2000.
The Court of First Instance heard the company was sub-contracted to carry out work in a 21-storey building in Yin Chong Street, Kowloon.
But a report by an occupational safety officer found a construction platform had not been properly enclosed, which allowed a box of tiles to slip off the platform and hit Mr Fung, leaving him in a coma.
He was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital with head, neck and chest injuries. After 21 days in intensive care and three months on a general ward in a vegetative state, Mr Fung was transferred to Wong Tai Sin Hospital in July 2001 after regaining consciousness. He was finally discharged in April last year.
Mr Fung is now a permanent paraplegic and dysphasic - someone who has difficulty co-ordinating their speech.
Mr Justice Suffiad yesterday awarded $10,349,747. Of that, $1.5 million was for pain, suffering and loss of amenities. A further $967,904 was awarded for pre-trial loss of earnings and $174,000 for the value of his wife's services. Because he was the sole bread-winner for his wife and six-year-old son, the family was awarded $2,676,384 for loss of future earnings.
For future medical expenses, he was given $3,363,200, while future accommodation was budgeted at $2.35 million. The judge also awarded $150,000 to his wife because Mr Fung is permanently affected. The rest of the damages comprised other expenses.
