Indian Migrant Worker in Singapore Sues Employers for Negligence, Wins $73,500 in Damages: Report
A 37-year-old migrant worker from Tamil Nadu has accomplished a remarkable triumph in the cash-rich nation of Singapore. The man recently won a lawsuit pertaining to negligence in a case involving an overcrowded lorry.
Mumbai, August 27: A 37-year-old migrant worker from Tamil Nadu has accomplished a remarkable triumph in the cash-rich nation of Singapore. The man recently won a lawsuit pertaining to negligence in a case involving an overcrowded lorry. As reported by CNN, Ramalingam Murugan, a 37-year-old migrant worker from Tamil Nadu, had fallen from the rear of an overcrowded lorry on January 3, 2021, resulting in a leg fracture.
As per the reports, the incident left Murugan unable to continue working. Murugan, a father of three, took legal action against the company, alleging their failure to establish or implement a secure transportation system for him and his fellow workers. Furthermore, the company was accused of neglecting to conduct risk assessments to identify possible risks. In 2022, Murugan initiated legal proceedings against Rigel Marine Services to secure damages amounting to 100,000 Singapore dollars (equivalent to $73,500). Singapore: Indian Worker Dies After Being Struck by Reversing Vehicle at Worksite in Jurong.
"He injured himself coming down from a lorry which was overcrowded – a simple thing that turned out to be risky...It is not uncommon for companies, especially those involved in heavy construction, to take risk assessments for granted," Murugan's lawyer Muhamad Ashraf Syed Ansarai said. However, spokespersons from Rigel Marine Services refuted the allegations, saying that Murugan's accident was “caused by his own carelessness in failing to watch his footing before alighting from the lorry." IBM Employee on Sick Leave for 15 Years Sues IT Company for Not Giving Salary Hike, Claims He Is Victim of ‘Disability Discrimination’.
However, on August 17th, the district judge delivered a verdict in Murugan's favour, observing that there was “a breach of duty by the company." District Judge Tan May Tee found no contributory negligence on Murugan’s part, and there had been no way for him to avoid the accident as the vehicle was “not meant to carry more than 22 persons at the time.”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2023 06:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).