Disabled driver involved in 15 "accidents" within 10 years, sought compensation in 9 of them

A 56-year-old disabled man claimed that he was involved in an accident that left with him with injuries on his neck and nearly $1,000 in medical bills accumulated over 13 treatment sessions. 

He also amassed five medical reports in order to file for compensation from the other party, reports Shin Min Daily News. 

However, the defence lawyer later disclosed that the plaintiff had been involved in 15 such “accidents” just within the span of 10 years, nine of which he had asked for compensation from the other party involved.  

The latest incident happened along Dunlop Street at around 1.25pm on Sep 3, 2011.

The court heard that the plaintiff who suffers from physical disability, was driving a car designed for the handicapped in the rightmost lane of Jalan Besar, when he suddenly stopped the vehicle. This caused a motorist driving behind him, 59-year-old Mr Chen to slam on his brakes. 

Mr Chen said that he managed to stop his vehicle in time and did not hit the plaintiff’s car. He also alighted to check the plaintiff's car and confirmed that there were no damages. 

Despite the two vehicles never coming into contact, the plaintiff asked Mr Chen for $100 compensation. To let the matter rest, Mr Chen paid the man.

About an hour later, the plaintiff called Mr Chen, confirming there had been no collision and he was not injured. As such, he told Mr Chen that he would not call the police. 

However, a month after the incident, Mr Chen was notified by the Traffic Police (TP) to lodge a report, on grounds that the plaintiff had been injured and was granted a 3-day medical leave. 

Mr Chen lodged the report but insisted that there had been no collision and he did not injure the man. 

After that, the plaintiff pursued legal action against Mr Chen in court, and even appealed for witnesses to the accident. 

A witness stepped forward and said that he was having dinner in the vicinity when he heard a loud noise. He went to investigate and the plaintiff told him that he was uninjured. 

As the plaintiff was physically handicapped, he did not alight his car. The witness also noted that Mr Chen did not go over to the man’s vehicle.  

The plaintiff claimed that the impact of the collision caused injuries to his neck, which he was unaware of at first. He said that the injuries worsened over time, and he has sought treatment 13 times, spending about $1,000 in the process. 

During these visits, the plaintiff gathered five medical reports and underwent two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. 

Mr Chen rebuked the plaintiff’s allegations, saying he could have been injured before the accident. He cited that the plaintiff once rejected a medical examination by a doctor. 

Mr Chen’s defence lawyer, Mr Dean Salleh also pointed out that six years before the incident, the plaintiff had been involved in another accident on Feb 28, 2004. At the time, the plaintiff also claimed that he had neck pains and was experiencing numbness in the left side of his body. 

Since then, the plaintiff has been involved in 15 such “accidents”, nine of which he pursued legal action against the other party to ask for compensation. 

After trial, the plaintiff's case was dismissed by the judge in April this year as he did not possess conclusive evidence supporting his allegations.