ACC3612

Week 7

Slim 10
Sunday October 5, 10:17 PM Andrea De Cruz awarded almost S !00,000 in Slim 10 case Television actress Andrea De Cruz, who suffered liver failure, has won a lawsuit against distri utors of diet !ill "li# 1$ and was awarded da#ages a#ounting to al#ost "%&$$,$$$' (er law)ers had earlier said she should get a out "%1'* #illion' +t was clearl) an eagerl) awaited verdict, as so#e 6$ s!ectators s,ueezed into the court' The #ain !la)ers strea#ed in' "o#e, like -s De Cruz.s fianc/ 0ierre 0ng, who had donated !art of his liver to her in an organ trans!lant, and her sister, who sat with clas!ed hands in the courtroo#, clearl) looked #ore an1ious than others' A#idst the hushed at#os!here, 2ustice Ta) 3ong 4wang got right down to usiness, reading out !art of his 656 !age 7udge#ent' 8ased on the evidence, the 7udge said he found that "li# 1$ did cause -s De Cruz.s liver failure' 9ound negligent were oth "li# 1$ distri utor (ealth 8iz and its founder, director and !resident "e#on :iu' "a)ing that as i#!orters and distri utors, (ealth 8iz owed a ;dut) of care to consu#ers;, 2ustice Ta) highlighted that what ;it has failed to do is kee! !ro!er records of the consign#ents of !ills that were eing i#!orted and to do !ro!er atch tests'; This he said could have ;revealed the !resence of other anned su stances'; Also found negligent and lia le for -s De Cruz.s liver failure was T< -edia' 2ustice Ta) !ointed out, ;Without verification, the fourth defendant =T< -edia> egan acce!ting "li# 1$ !acks for sale' Again, without verification, it egan to !roclai# to the outside world that "li# 1$ was 1$$ !ercent her al and was safe for consu#!tion'; +n the hushed and crowded courtroo#, -s De Cruz.s e)es welled u! and turned red when she heard how #ost of the 7udge#ent had gone in her favour' ?,uall) e#otional was fellow actress Chen :i!ing when she heard how her hus and, @a)son Tan, who had een accused of selling the !ills to -s De Cruz, had een vindicated ) the (igh Court' The court dis#issed the case against hi#, as it found the relationshi! was #ore that of a friend doing a favour' (e will have to e rei# ursed A5 !ercent of his costs ) -s De Cruz.s side' +n all, the da#ages awarded to -s De Cruz totaled al#ost "%&$$,$$$' 6 9or general !ain and suffering that she suffered and continues to sufferB "%25$,$$$' 6 9or #edical costs for the ne1t 3* )earsB %26A,&57' 6 9or #edical e1!enses related to the high risk liver trans!lantB "%235,A63' 6 "%&6,$$$ as co#!ensation for loss of earnings' The losing !arties will have to !a) the legal costs' "e#uired 1' +dentif) 1$ #a7or risks face ) a health su!!le#ents and drug distri utor such as (ealth 8iz' 2' Cse the risk #a!!ing techni,ue to !rioritize these risksDloss e1!osuresE