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SINGAPORE – All Shaw cinemas are being inspected as a precautionary measure after vents from a movie theater in the Nex Mall fell from the ceiling, injuring two viewers.
A Shaw Theaters spokesperson told The Straits Times on Tuesday (September 1) that the company is in the process of inspecting movie theaters at six other locations with their respective building managers.
The chain has movie theaters at Orchard, Jewel Changi Airport, Paya Lebar Quarter, Waterway Point, Seletar Mall, and JCube, all of which remain open.
The Nex branch is currently closed for investigations, and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has directed the building owner to appoint an engineer to investigate Sunday’s incident and assess the condition of the other ducts in the movie theater. affected.
ST understands that the two injured moviegoers have been discharged from the hospital.
They were in the theater to see the movie Tenet, and it is believed that they were both struck by falling plaster debris.
Several attorneys contacted by ST say injured viewers could seek legal redress, as the movie theater or mall owed them a duty of care.
Ms. Gloria James-Civetta, senior attorney at Gloria James-Civetta & Co, said that injured clients could bring “tort action” against the cinema for negligence, adding that they could possibly obtain compensation for their pain and suffering. or even loss of income because of the incident.
Raphael Louis of Ray Louis Law Corporation said the amount of compensation would depend on the severity of the injury or the suffering of the patient.
For example, the amount awarded for simple injuries like abrasions or “bumps” can range from $ 500 to $ 1,000, but would be higher for more serious injuries like fractures.
“Interestingly, in theory, it is also possible for those who are not physically injured to file a claim, if they have experienced some kind of trauma from it … as if they had been psychologically affected by it,” Louis said.
This would have to be supported by a medical report, he added.
The question of which party defendant should be determined by a plaintiff’s attorney.
Mr. Rajan Supramaniam, a consultant for Edmond Pereira Law Corporation, noted that the legal process can be lengthy as efforts are made to determine who should take responsibility for the incident.
For example, the cinema can be named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but the management of the building under Nex can also be named as a co-defendant, he said.
“The cinema has a duty to care, to ensure safety. But the building management can also be equally responsible for the maintenance of the structure, and that could be beyond the reach of the cinema owner,” said Mr Supramaniam.
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