The family of a university student killed in a fatal traffic incident last year is seeking greater compensation from the bus company involved, their lawyer said today.
On Sept. 22 last year, a Taichung city bus operated by Geya Bus Transportation Co (巨業交通) hit two Tunghai University students, killing a woman surnamed Lin (林) and injuring another, leading to widespread public outrage.
On Tuesday last week, a lawyer hired by Lin’s family, Liu Chien-chih (劉建志), said that Geya was only willing to settle for NT$300,000, which the company denied.
Photo: Chang Hsuan-tse, Taipei Times
Yesterday, Liu sarcastically apologized to the company for overlooking its “huge favor” of offering an extra NT$37,050 after it contacted him yesterday offering an increased sum of NT$337,050.
The incident occurred at about 9pm on Sept. 22 last year, when a bus driver surnamed Shih (施) hit Lin, who later died from her injuries, and another woman surnamed Wang (王).
Following the incident, the company negotiated with the victim’s family, while the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office conducted its own investigation, Geya said.
Lin’s family authorized a lawyer to issue a statement on their behalf alleging that Shih hit Lin because he was overworked and fatigued, which prosecutors did not find evidence of, the company said.
As it is still cooperating with prosecutors’ investigation and out of respect for the victim’s family, the company said it has yet to engage in substantive discussions about the settlement, denying that it offered NT$300,000.
“We have not brought up this figure [NT$300,000] at all. All three parties must sit down and present their thoughts,” Liu’s statement cites Geya general manager Hsu Wei-lien (徐維聯) as saying.
Geya’s legal counsel reached out to Liu in a Line message yesterday, offering the family NT$337,050 to cover funeral and medical expenses, as well as for mental distress compensation under the mandatory liability insurance, Liu said.
In his own statement today, Hsu said that the parties are currently negotiating and would not comment on opposing counsel.
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