The questionmarks only get bigger...

Birgit K.
On June the 8th 2006 Mrs. K. sustained multiple massive injuries due to the overturning of her wheelchair in a public bus of the HVV (City of Hamburgs linked transport system) Line 263. Not enough that the unqualified and poorly trained driver was not instructed in the correct manner of transporting wheelchairs demanded by the Manufacturer, the Mercedes Citaro Bus had no safety measures at all! After depositing the woman in her wheelchair traverse to driving directions between two baby buggies the nightmare started. Due to G-forces and physics Mrs. K. could not sustain her hold in the next left turn causing the wheelchair to tip over backwards, leaving Mrs. K. lying helplessly in front of the automatic doors. Dazed by the impact and wounded was´nt enough for this trip! The other travellers alerted the driver through loud calls about the accident, but no stopping on this fun ride! Instead of stopping the bus and tending to the victim the driver opened the doors by fifty kilometers an hour. Centimeters from the pavement, shocked and injured Mrs. K. barely held on to something sustaining further injuries to her knees, an extreme trauma that still affects Mrs. K. who depends on using public transportation.
Because of the sustained head injuries the optical nerve of the eye was damaged, causing headaches and cross sight. Two years full of pain, 4 operations due to other injuries and no end in sight.
After a first hearing in a court in Hamburg-Wandsbek the driver was fined with 500 Euros. The complaints about the bus companies failure of properly educating their personnel and a complete lack of safety measures required for class 1 vehicles was totally ignored by the court.
The legal representative was banned from the hearing because the court had summoned him as a witness. Even though the court was aware that he was not present at the moment of the "accident" he was told to wait until summoned. After half an hour the judge came out saying "case closed, the "witness" is dismissed.

Compensation for personal suffering? According to the Hochbahn motto "Tough luck, we make the mistakes, you pay the price!" 2 years after the accident still no insurance has claimed responsibility

The onetime City of Hamburg Rollerskate Champion and foreign language secretary was very much in love with life, even bound to using a wheelchair always cheerful and forward directed. The ill fated drive in the Hochbahn bus has changed all that.
And if you think that was it, welcome to Germany my friend. The next part of the story is what can happen to you when you visit a well known German hospital franchise because of an accident. How new pharma products are entered into the market by irresponsible doctors simply by changing a prescription, willfully endangering the health and lives of patients. The cost of damages are on the public health system, so what the heck, the profits just went up 35% earning 1.03 billion Euros. Meet Asklepios and UCB. See the new and very creative wording of "not controlled patient" and it´s relation to soaring share prices.

Senator Michael Freytag prior to the Hamburg elections:
"The City of Hamburgs Hochbahn is a jewel amongst the public undertakings of the city, not only is it economically succesfull, it´s also very customer oriented! Purposive investments are not used otherwise! The City of Hamburg holds business shares of 279 companies directly or by the HGV."
HVV
"The current law also decrees that only as many wheelchair drivers are allowed on the bus as there are available wheelchair spaces. In almost all of our vehicles there is only one wheelchair space installed. The HVV and others have engaged themselves by the lawmakers to allow the transport of two wheelchair drivers in every bus. The Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs has publicly declared to immediately bring about a changing of laws to find a solution for the handicapped."
From a questionnaire to the Senat
The conversion (secure installation of a second wheelchair space in public service vehicles) would amount to costs of about 4.000 to 5.000 Euro per verhicle. The conversions of aproximatly 1.000 affected vehicles would cost the City of Hamburg about 5 Mio. Euro. 4 to 6 seating places would also be lost!
Hochbahn AG
"Neither Travers or Jasper are "any kind of blundering companys", they are responsible bus companys - incidentally owned to 100% of interest shares by the Hamburger Hochbahn! The handling of above named case of damage is processed by our corporational law department, with all the proffered practicality to examine possible liability shares according to reason and level of compensation."
i.A. Peter Steindl
Beschwerdemanagement
Hamburger Hochbahn AG
Kundendialog
Steinstraße 20
20095 Hamburg

"The relevant authorities know of no case of bodily harm to wheelchair drivers since January the 1st 2006 due to tipping following braking manoeuvres which called for police or ambulance. Apart from that the Senate does not answer hypothetic questions!"