The High Court yesterday ordered the Taipei City Government to pay NT$9.27 million (US$318,710) in compensation to a marathon participant who sustained head injuries after a water pump fell on him from a bridge during an event in 2017.
The High Court cited negligence by road repair crews for the incident. It was the second ruling in the case and can be appealed.
The Taipei District Court in April last year awarded the victim, a man surnamed Chen (陳), 53, NT$9.15 million for loss of income, medical expenses, and physical injuries and mental distress.
Chen was taking part in the Standard Chartered Taipei Charity Marathon on Feb. 12, 2017, which started in front of Presidential Office Building and finished in the riverside park under Dazhi Bridge (大直橋).
Chen was passing under the Second MacArthur Bridge (麥帥二橋) in Songshan District (松山) when a water pump motor fell on his head from a height of 10m, causing serious injuries, court filings showed.
It was found that the 27kg motor was tied to a flat cart with hemp ropes while repair crews conducted maintenance work on the bridge.
A high volume of traffic and pedestrians on the bridge caused vibrations, which loosened the ropes, investigators said.
Medical records showed that Chen sustained cerebral hemorrhage; lacerations on his face, head, neck and chest; dislocated vertebrae; bleeding in the thyroid gland; and several broken teeth, they said.
After recovery, Chen has continued to experience after-effects, including memory loss, neurocognitive disorder and loss of mental functions, medical reports showed.
He sued the repair crew, who were employed by the Taipei Public Works Department.
During trial hearings, department officials refused to pay financial compensation, claiming no negligence on their part.
They blamed the contractor for not properly securing the motor.
However, the Taipei District Court ruled that department officials were responsible for supervising the road crew’s work, finding them negligent in causing the accident.
City officials appealed that ruling, leading to yesterday’s verdict.
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