The Housing Authority was yesterday ordered to pay $12,890 in compensation to a pedestrian who injured his head on a protruding concrete beam outside a Ma On Shan shopping mall. Lau Hung successfully argued in the Small Claims Tribunal that the 1.57-metre concrete beam was a danger to people walking by. Mr Lau was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital after the accident at Heng On Estate on August 23, 1996, left him with cuts and bruises on his head. He said he had to take 22 days of sick leave from his $15,000-a-month job. Outside court yesterday, Mr Lau refused to say what he did for a living. Adjudicator Chan Chan-kok said the Housing Authority had a duty to ensure a safe area for pedestrians and ruled that the concrete beam was a danger to passersby. Mr Lau said in court the concrete beam was several centimetres lower than the top of his head and he failed to notice it as he was walking. A Housing Authority spokeswoman said the concrete beams, which helped support an overhead walkway, were painted bright yellow. The area had been cordoned off since the accident.
