THE Shenzhen Intermediate People s Court heard an appeal Wednesday by the parents of a woman who died following a roller coaster ride. The parents are demanding compensation of 1.67 million yuan (US$256,200).
The woman, identified as Ma, who worked for a battery company in Huizhou, lapsed into a coma only one minute after riding the roller coaster in a theme park in Shenzhen on Dec. 17, 2007, Shenzhen Evening News reported Thursday.
She was taken to hospital and died 10 months later.
Ma s parents said the first-instance award of 1.03 million yuan was not enough to compensate for Ma s death, hospital expenses and mental trauma caused.
They said Ma had worked in Huizhou for two years so the death compensation should be 640,000 yuan as an urban resident not the 100,000 yuan of a rural resident.
Ma was on a package tour organized by her company.
Ma s parents held the company, the travel agency and the theme park responsible for encouraging Ma to take the roller coaster.
The first-instance court hearing decided Ma s company was 20 percent responsible, the travel agency 35 percent and the theme park 45 percent responsible.
Ma s company claimed she had chosen the tour itinerary herself and they hadn t asked Ma to pay a penny for the tour.
The travel agency said it should not be held responsible saying the equipment was functioning safely.
The intermediate court is yet to hand down a decision.
(Tina Chen)
