Disabled boy's parents win appeal

A city court has awarded 20,000 yuan ($3,293) in additional compensation to the parents of an 8-year-old boy for their emotional distress over an injury that left him with a permanent disability, local media reported Wednesday.

In an appeal to a prior case, Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court increased the total award to 294,800 yuan because the boy's parents, who both suffer from physical disabilities, had high hopes he would remain healthy, according to a report in the Jiefang Daily.

The boy was injured during a school trip to the Shanghai Happy Valley amusement park on September 29, 2011, when he was flung from a ride similar to the spinning "tea cup" rides popular at other amusement parks. The boy was hit by another tea cup before park employees shut down the ride. He suffered injuries to his legs and hips, the court said.

The family, who was not identified, sued the boy's school, Huajing Primary School in Xuhui district, the amusement park and the travel agency that organized the trip for 730,000 yuan in March to cover the boy's medical bills, care fees and compensation for emotional distress, the report said. The district court awarded the family 274,800 yuan.

Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court ordered Shanghai Happy Valley to pay 70 percent of the compensation it awarded.

The court ordered the travel agency, which was not named, to pay 20 percent and the school to cover the remaining 10 percent.

The travel agency paid for the boy's initial medical expenses after he was sent to the hospital.

His total medical bills exceeded 100,000 yuan.