A legal case involving a cyclist who was seriously injured when his bicycle wheel got stuck in a drain cover has been settled after the cyclist initia
A legal case involving a cyclist who was seriously injured when his bicycle wheel got stuck in a drain cover has been settled after the cyclist initially sought to sue PUB for negligence. The settlement was reached on Wednesday (Sept. 7), according to Chinese media outlet Shin Min Daily News.
The cyclist, 42-year-old Maung Maung Aung Soe Thu from Myanmar, had initially filed a lawsuit claiming at least S$578,000 in damages from PUB, as reported by The Straits Times.
Agreement Reached on Second Day of Hearing
The settlement was announced on the second day of the hearing, with both parties agreeing to resolve the matter without assigning liability to either side, according to Shin Min. Details of the settlement will remain confidential, similar to a previous case where PUB and the plaintiff settled under undisclosed terms.
Maung Maung is expected to return to Myanmar after the case concludes on Sept. 9.
Claims of Negligence Against PUB
The three-day hearing, which began on Tuesday (Sept. 6) in the High Court, aimed to determine whether PUB was responsible for the incident. Maung Maung, who appeared in court using a walking stick, argued that PUB had breached its duty of care by failing to ensure that the drain gratings along the road were safe for cyclists and other road users.
According to reports from The Straits Times, Maung Maung suffered severe injuries in the accident, including a subarachnoid hemorrhage (a type of brain injury), multiple facial fractures, and spinal trauma. He also experiences weakness in his feet and right hand, and his injuries have left him with visible scars.
His lawyer argued that PUB was negligent in the construction, installation, and management of the drain cover, asserting that the gaps in the grating were parallel and uniform, which contributed to the accident. Therefore, the lawyer claimed, PUB should be held fully responsible for Maung Maung’s injuries.
PUB Denies Liability
PUB, however, denied that it owed Maung Maung any duty of care and refuted claims of negligence. The statutory board argued that the probability of a cyclist suffering a serious injury due to a drain cover was extremely low—just 0.00001 percent on an annual basis—and noted that the gap where Maung Maung’s wheel got stuck was only 3 cm wide.
PUB’s lawyers also emphasized that if they were held liable, it would impose a significant burden on the statutory board, as it would be required to inspect and potentially replace over one million drain gratings across Singapore.
According to PUB, there have been only 12 verified incidents of injuries involving drain gratings in the last decade. Even if PUB were found to have breached its duty of care, it argued that Maung Maung was partly responsible for the accident because he had chosen to cycle on the road rather than on the designated park connector.
Settlement Before Trial Conclusion
In a statement released on Wednesday, PUB revealed that it had made an offer to Maung Maung before the trial, which he initially declined. However, he decided to accept the offer after the trial had commenced, before PUB’s witnesses could testify. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.
PUB extended its well-wishes to Maung Maung in his recovery and rehabilitation.
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