Manly Fast Ferry crash: George Wehbe wins payout after crash ‘negligence’
A passenger on-board a ferry which smashed into a wharf in late 2017 has received a massive payout after a court heard he has been unable to work since.
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A 34-year-old man has received an almost $430,000 payout after he injured his knee in a Manly Fast Ferry crash.
A court heard George Paul Wehbe, who was visiting a friend on the northern beaches, is now “incapacitated from doing his job as a tiler after the ferry smashed in to Manly Wharf in September 2017”.
He was one of the 30 people on board a Manly Fast Ferry he claims “just flew into the wharf” without warning at 12.45pm during a trip from Circular Quay to the northern beaches.
Multiple passengers were thrown to the ground by the impact and six people were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
In the crash, Mr Wehbe jerked forward and hit his left knee on the seat in front of him and felt instant pain.
Almost three years later, NSW District Court Judge Leonard Levy has ordered Manly Fast Ferry company pay Mr Wehbe $426,000 in damages.
Mr Wehbe filed the statement of claims in 2019 for “personal injuries he sustained in a waterways accident due to the negligence of the defendant, Manly Fast Ferry Pty Ltd”, court documents state.
The court heard Mr Wehbe sustained prolonged injuries to his knee, which affected his work and home life.
Mr Wehbe now hobbles slightly as a result of the injury and experiences constant pain and discomfort.
His ability to run or walk long distances comfortably is now limited, the court heard.
Mr Wehbe is a tiler by trade and is currently studying for a degree in Business Logistics with RMIT.
At the time of the injury he was working as a sole trader tiler earning over $1000 per week and had no physical restraints, but has not effectively worked since the accident.
Mr Wehbe is “incapacitated” from carrying out his former work as a tiler, Judge Levy accepted, or any occupations that involve physical mobility, weight bearing and dexterity.
The court heard Mr Wehbe is also unable to complete some household chores.
Despite some conflicting medical reports, Judge Levy sided with a doctor who found “chronic soft tissue injury with clinical evidence of patello-femoral syndrome” in Mr Wehbe’s left knee.