PKP rides roughshod over rail victim
A man left paralyzed on the tracks when he was run over by a train is being pursued by Polish State Railways (PKP) bosses for compensation for the train delays caused by his accident. Paweł Banaszek had been lying across the track when he was crippled in the incident just over a year ago. It was claimed at the time that he had been savagely beaten in a bar fight and left for dead on the rails.
But a local prosecutor said that there was no conclusive evidence a fight had taken place. "We are acting in accordance with article 415 of the civil code, seeking damages from a person who caused delays in rail traffic-just like anywhere else in the world," PKP spokesman Krzysztof Łańcucki told Gazeta Wyborcza.
Łańcucki said the 19-year-old's misfortune cost zł.2,058 worth of losses to the national train service for the delays the incident caused. Although half the amount has been written off, Mr Banaszek has to pay the rest in zł.80 monthly installments from his zł.600 disability pension.
The newspaper quoted Banaszek's father as saying his son's attackers had dragged him onto the tracks to try to fake a suicide.
But regional prosecutor Robert Strzemiński said: "We didn't have any evidence of a beating... so we had to treat it as a simple train accident."
"We are the guardians of public property, not a charitable institution, and we have an obligation to seek compensation in the name of the taxpayers," said Łańcucki.
"Mr Banaszek could have turned to a court, but he didn't. He would lose, and the whole affair would cost [him] many times more."
The paper reported that Mr Banaszek's house had recently burned down. However, PKP may relent-Łańcucki later told Reuters that Polish State Railways would most likely write off the remaining debt if Banaszek made a formal request.
But a local prosecutor said that there was no conclusive evidence a fight had taken place. "We are acting in accordance with article 415 of the civil code, seeking damages from a person who caused delays in rail traffic-just like anywhere else in the world," PKP spokesman Krzysztof Łańcucki told Gazeta Wyborcza.
Łańcucki said the 19-year-old's misfortune cost zł.2,058 worth of losses to the national train service for the delays the incident caused. Although half the amount has been written off, Mr Banaszek has to pay the rest in zł.80 monthly installments from his zł.600 disability pension.
The newspaper quoted Banaszek's father as saying his son's attackers had dragged him onto the tracks to try to fake a suicide.
But regional prosecutor Robert Strzemiński said: "We didn't have any evidence of a beating... so we had to treat it as a simple train accident."
"We are the guardians of public property, not a charitable institution, and we have an obligation to seek compensation in the name of the taxpayers," said Łańcucki.
"Mr Banaszek could have turned to a court, but he didn't. He would lose, and the whole affair would cost [him] many times more."
The paper reported that Mr Banaszek's house had recently burned down. However, PKP may relent-Łańcucki later told Reuters that Polish State Railways would most likely write off the remaining debt if Banaszek made a formal request.
