M Murlase was riding his motorcycle on March 16, 2019, when a lorry in front of him braked suddenly, causing him to collide into it.

He and pillion rider H Visalatchy sued lorry driver Shamsul Rizal Alang Ahmad.

At trial, the court heard that Shamsul was forced to slam on his brakes after a car ahead of him stopped suddenly. He said he heard a loud crash coming from behind his lorry.

Sessions court judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi said there was no dispute that the accident happened because Shamsul pulled his brakes suddenly.

He said lorry drivers have a responsibility to drive carefully and not take any sudden action which may pose a danger to other road users.

“This court also finds that the motorcyclist was riding very close to the lorry. Both parties contributed to the accident,” Meor said.

In quantifying the damages, Meor took into account abdominal injuries which Murlase suffered, rendering him permanently disabled and unable to return to work as a cleaner.

“Because of this accident, the plaintiff could not eat normally, is unable to lift heavy objects, has frequent bowel movements and is at risk of having more health issues,” Meor said.

The court also awarded RM4,000 in damages to Visalatchy.