The 2 students who were ran over by a boat some years ago, are now suing the State for the money they spent on their medical bills.
Yanik Quesnel and his Spanish friend Ana Carolina Barry-Laso were struck by a pirogue while bathing at Pigeon Point beach, Tobago two years ago.
The boat collision left Quesnel with multiple head injuries including lacerations at the midline of his scalp and temporal areas and a midline depressed skull fracture. He also suffered from haemorrhage of the brain and paralysis.
Barry-Laso also sustained head injuries including a cranial fracture and punctured brain membrane. She suffered paralysis of the left side of her body, laceration of the corner of the right eye to below the right ear, two compound fractures on her right arm and nerve damage to the upper right arm resulting in paralysis of the right thumb, ring and small fingers.
Nerve damage to her left shoulder resulted in the amputation of two phalanges (bones) on the left small finger. She also had fractures in five places on her left leg, three broken toes, and abrasions and severe scarring and disfigurement to the right arm and left leg.
The cost of the medical bills is approximately $TT 6 M.
In the case of Barry-Laso, her medical bill and travel expenses associated with the trial is a whooping 286,583.13 euros (TT$2,774,124.60). Quesnel's medical expenses to date stand at TT$3,025,303.58.
Instead of paying the money, which would be the right thing to do, the State has decided to pay what could amount to be an equivalent sum or more to lawyers to fight the suit of the students.
Prescott, Algin Pascal and Phillip Lamonte are representing the THA and PPHP. The Attorney General is being represented by Russell Martineau SC, Deborah Jean-Baptiste-Samuel, Sean Julien, Meera Goalan and Sarfraz Alfaran.
Yet, whUDeCOOT is spending more than that on advertising its corrupt habits. Go figure.
