Kimberley Ultramarathon burn victims to sue race organiser
Model Turia Pitt, horrifically burned, will bring a civil suit against event's HK organiser
Two runners injured in an ultra-marathon in a remote part of Western Australia plan to bring a multimillion-dollar civil action against the race's Hong Kong-based organisers.
Sydney model Turia Pitt, 24, now has to wear a compression suit covering her face, neck and body and lost four fingers and a thumb due to burns. Kate Sanderson, 36, had her left foot amputated.
Two other runners, Michael Hull and Martin Van Der Merwe, also plan to pursue civil action against RacingThePlanet, although both suffered less serious burns.
Last week Pitt and Sanderson received "act of grace" payments of A$450,000 (HK$3.6 million) from the West Australian government after an official inquiry in August urged the state to consider some form of financial compensation to help with the runners' ongoing treatment.
Despite a parliamentary inquiry finding that RacingThePlanet was not legally liable or to blame, those injured are still pressing ahead with civil action.
It was reported in the Australian media last week that Greg Walsh, a Sydney-based lawyer for the four competitors, intends to sue RacingThePlanet for more than A$10 million on Pitt's behalf alone. Pitt was among 11 runners who became trapped in a narrow gorge as bushfires - which police said had burned in the Kimberley region for up to a week - changed directions.