A man in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa is attempting to claim VND789 million (US$33,927) in damages from a prominent Vietnamese bus operator for its responsibility in a traffic accident that cost part of his wife’s leg.

Ho Xuan Quy, 53, filed the lawsuit against Phuong Trang Bus Lines earlier this week, less than three months after his wife, Le Thi Thu Ha, 48, was badly injured in a crash involving the company’s sleeper bus and a tractor trailer.

The accident occurred on a section of National Highway 1 in Xuan Loc District in the southern province of Dong Nai on March 31, when the Phuong Trang bus was traveling from Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang City to Ho Chi Minh City.

The collision ripped open a side of the long-haul bus, injuring two passengers, including Ha, who suffered injuries on sixty-percent of her body.

Due to her injuries, part of Ha’s leg had to be amputated by doctors at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5. She is still undergoing treatment at the infirmary.

Quy claimed in his lawsuit that his family has faced huge financial crisis as heaps of expenses have been spent on Ha’s medical treatment.

The husband said that Phuong Trang neglected its responsibilities despite his attempts to demand compensation for medical costs and expenses incurred by his family while caring for Ha.

No information has been released about the cause of the accident, including who was at fault.

However, according to Article 528 of the current Vietnam Civil Code, the bus operator must compensate for the loss of human life and/or damage to the health and luggage of passengers unless such loss and/or damage is entirely due to the fault of the passengers.

In the latest development, Phuong Trang told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday the accident in question was entirely due to the fault of the tractor trailer driver, who failed to control his vehicle, leading to the crash.

The bus operator thus said it should not bear responsibility for compensation, adding the company did send the husband VND8.5 million ($365.5) in support following the crash.

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