KAOHSIUNG — A woman who crashed into a metal barrier that had been left partly in a Sanmin District roadway has been awarded NT$32,833 in state compensation, according to a Liberty Times report.
The Kaohsiung District Court found that the barrier had reportedly been in place since 1989. It also found that police had handled about 70 reports, complaints, and traffic incidents in the surrounding area over the previous five years, but had still not removed it.
The woman, surnamed Lai (賴), was thrown from her scooter and suffered several fractures, including injuries to her upper right arm and toes. One of the fractures was open, the report said.
Lai later sought more than NT$310,000 in state compensation, arguing that police had failed to remove an illegal road obstruction.
Police told the court that officers have discretion over whether to remove objects from roads. They also said they had not received a complaint specifically identifying the barrier before the crash.
The court found that the police bore some responsibility for failing to remove the obstruction. However, it also found that Lai was mostly at fault because visibility was clear and other riders had been able to avoid the barrier.
The court assigned 80% of the responsibility to Lai and 20% to the police, ordering Kaohsiung police to pay NT$32,833 for medical expenses and emotional distress.
The ruling can be appealed.
