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SINGAPORE: A 65-year-old taxi driver, who was involved in a collision with a Ministry of Defence (Mindef) land-rover, has sued the Government in the High Court after the accident left him paralysed from the neck down.
Mr Choy Yue Leong, who was ferrying his last passenger during a night shift, was driving along Jalan Bahar towards Lim Chu Kang on April 3 last year at around 5.45am when the collision occurred.
The land-rover was travelling in the opposite direction and making a right turn at the time. The collision seriously damaged both vehicles and has left Mr Choy hospitalised since.
Mr Choy, through his lawyers S. Selvaraj and Daniel Atticus Xu from MyintSoe and Selvaraj, alleged the collision was caused by the land-rover driver's "sole negligence". The Mindef driver, who is 22 years old, had allegedly failed to keep any proper lookout and drove at an excess speed, among other things.
As a result, Mr Choy "has suffered personal injuries and consequential loss", Mr Selvaraj argued.
A National University Hospital (NUH) medical report said Mr Choy "will be permanently disabled from the accident".
The Attorney-General, who is acting on behalf of the Government in the civil suit, has denied the claims. The traffic light at the road junction indicated a red light with green turning arrow in the land-rover driver's favour, argued State Counsel Lim Sai Nei.
As the Mindef driver was making a right turn into the Pan-Island Expressway, Ms Lim said Mr Choy's taxi "suddenly collided into the front left portion of the Government vehicle". The accident was "wholly caused by the negligence of the Plaintiff in the driving, use, management and control" of his taxi, the AG argued in its defence filed in the High Court.
An interlocutory judgment has been entered which means both sides will share liability for the collision.
A further pre-trial conference has been set for May 15. As the suit is heard before the High Court, Mr Choy's claim will exceed $250,000.
When the collision occurred, the road surface was dry, the weather was clear and traffic volume was light. A passenger whom Mr Choy was ferrying was asleep when the collision occurred.
The land-rover's driver and four passengers were brought to a hospital. It is not known if the land-rover driver has been dealt with by the authorities.
After spending six months in NUH, Mr Choy was transferred to Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital last November for further rehabilitation.
When MediaCorp visited Mr Choy, 65, on Wednesday night, the former cabbie tried to speak, but his voice was barely audible. He also needed help for simple tasks - for example, a family member had to help roll him over to prevent bed sores from developing.
Mr Choy's son, Patrick, told MediaCorp that his father was finishing his shift when the collision occurred. He had also been driving a taxi for more than 20 years, Patrick added.
The family has had a trying time since the accident - not only are the cabbie's medical bills mounting, Mr Choy's wife was also diagnosed with breast cancer last December and is now undergoing treatment. - TODAY
Mr Choy Yue Leong, who was ferrying his last passenger during a night shift, was driving along Jalan Bahar towards Lim Chu Kang on April 3 last year at around 5.45am when the collision occurred.
The land-rover was travelling in the opposite direction and making a right turn at the time. The collision seriously damaged both vehicles and has left Mr Choy hospitalised since.
Mr Choy, through his lawyers S. Selvaraj and Daniel Atticus Xu from MyintSoe and Selvaraj, alleged the collision was caused by the land-rover driver's "sole negligence". The Mindef driver, who is 22 years old, had allegedly failed to keep any proper lookout and drove at an excess speed, among other things.
As a result, Mr Choy "has suffered personal injuries and consequential loss", Mr Selvaraj argued.
A National University Hospital (NUH) medical report said Mr Choy "will be permanently disabled from the accident".
The Attorney-General, who is acting on behalf of the Government in the civil suit, has denied the claims. The traffic light at the road junction indicated a red light with green turning arrow in the land-rover driver's favour, argued State Counsel Lim Sai Nei.
As the Mindef driver was making a right turn into the Pan-Island Expressway, Ms Lim said Mr Choy's taxi "suddenly collided into the front left portion of the Government vehicle". The accident was "wholly caused by the negligence of the Plaintiff in the driving, use, management and control" of his taxi, the AG argued in its defence filed in the High Court.
An interlocutory judgment has been entered which means both sides will share liability for the collision.
A further pre-trial conference has been set for May 15. As the suit is heard before the High Court, Mr Choy's claim will exceed $250,000.
When the collision occurred, the road surface was dry, the weather was clear and traffic volume was light. A passenger whom Mr Choy was ferrying was asleep when the collision occurred.
The land-rover's driver and four passengers were brought to a hospital. It is not known if the land-rover driver has been dealt with by the authorities.
After spending six months in NUH, Mr Choy was transferred to Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital last November for further rehabilitation.
When MediaCorp visited Mr Choy, 65, on Wednesday night, the former cabbie tried to speak, but his voice was barely audible. He also needed help for simple tasks - for example, a family member had to help roll him over to prevent bed sores from developing.
Mr Choy's son, Patrick, told MediaCorp that his father was finishing his shift when the collision occurred. He had also been driving a taxi for more than 20 years, Patrick added.
The family has had a trying time since the accident - not only are the cabbie's medical bills mounting, Mr Choy's wife was also diagnosed with breast cancer last December and is now undergoing treatment. - TODAY
