XN000022-1981-02-02 — Page 2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1981

$25 MILLION PAYOUT TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS

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TOTAL PAYMENTS FOR DEATH AND INJURY GRANTS UNDER THE +NO FAULT TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) SCHEME HAVE PASSED THE $25 MILLION MARK.

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS PAID OUT MORE THAN $25.2 MILLION AS QUICK CASH RELIEF TO 6 654 CASES SINCE THE SCHEME STARTED IN MAY 1979.

MR SIU KING-CHIU, HEAD OF THE TAVA SECTION, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) ANOTHER $41 000 HAD BEEN AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT TO 110 CASES AND NOW AWAIT COLLECTION AT THE DEPARTMENT.

MR SIU SAID GRANTS ALREADY MADE WERE PAID TO 596 CASES INVOLVING DEATH, AND TO 6 058 CASES INVOLVING INJURIES WHICH HAD CAUSED AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS' LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY.

PAYMENTS FOR DEATH GRANTS AMOUNTED TO OVER $4.2 MILLION, HE SAID, WHILE INJURY PAYMENTS TOTALLED $21 MILLION, OF WHICH $5 MILLION WERE FOR FURTHER PAYMENTS TO THOSE WHO REQUIRED EXTENDED SICK LEAVE.

MR SIU SAID THE HIGHEST PAYMENT SO FAR WAS $26 100 IN ONE FATAL CASE, WHILE OTHER PAYMENTS RANGED FROM $800 TO $25 040.

+AT PRESENT, 323 APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED AND THE APPLICANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS SHORTLY,+ HE SAID,

THE TAVA SCHEME IS NON-MEANS TESTED AND PROVIDES QUICK CASH RELIEF FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS REGARDLESS OF WHO WAS AT FAULT IN CAUSING THE ACCIDENT.

UNDER THE SCHEME, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS MUST BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE.

PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS CAN APPLY WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE INCIDENT AT THE DEPARTMENT'S TAVA SECTION ON THE 14TH FLOOR OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE AT 280 GLOUCESTER ROAD, HONG KONG (TEL. NOS. 5-779421 AND 5-7903650).

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