The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, has ordered Mano Oil Palm Plantation Company to pay US$405,000 in damages to a 35-year-old man who suffered severe injuries and permanent disability in a motorbike accident involving the company’s tractor.
Judge T. Ciapha Carey issued the ruling on October 5, 2026, in favor of Isaac N. Quoiquoi of Ballah Town, Grand Cape Mount County. The court awarded US$350,000 in general damages, US$25,000 for medical expenses, and US$30,000 in consequential damages related to his injuries.
In his ruling, Judge Carey said the compensation was justified by the seriousness of Quoiquoi’s injuries and the lasting impact on his life. The judge noted that the injuries to his legs had affected his ability to move normally, earn a living, and support his family.
The court also found that Quoiquoi had proved his case based on the greater weight of the evidence presented during the trial.
Quoiquoi filed the lawsuit on April 20, 2026, over an accident that occurred on March 9, 2023, at about 10 p.m. According to his complaint, he crashed his motorbike into a tractor belonging to Mano Oil Palm Plantation Company along the D8 Camp Road in Gola Konneh District.
He alleged that the tractor had been left on the road without warning signs or other safety measures to alert motorists. Quoiquoi told the court that the company’s driver, identified as Nelson Fayiah, had parked the tractor and left it unattended.
The collision left him with serious injuries to both legs. He testified that he received treatment at several medical facilities and underwent multiple surgeries, but doctors later told him that his condition was complicated and required treatment abroad.
Quoiquoi further told the court that, after receiving initial treatment, he was transported in the company’s ambulance and later taken to his home without enough support to continue his medical care.
The father of five said the accident had changed his life. He now depends on crutches to move around and can no longer work to provide for his children. He also told the court that some of his children had been forced to live with relatives because he could no longer meet their needs.
During the proceedings, Quoiquoi testified that a Liberia National Police investigation found the company’s driver responsible for the accident. He also claimed that senior company officials had expressed regret over the incident and acknowledged responsibility.
The trial began on August 26, 2026. The plaintiff presented six regular witnesses and four subpoenaed witnesses, including a police chief inspector and three medical doctors.
Mano Oil Palm Plantation Company opened its defense on September 11, presenting three regular witnesses and two subpoenaed witnesses, most of whom were company employees.
One of the defense witnesses, Montgomery Wolo, the company’s acting general manager, confirmed that the accident occurred and acknowledged the injuries Quoiquoi suffered. Wolo testified that the company’s clinic could not adequately treat the injuries, prompting him to approve Quoiquoi’s transfer to St. Joseph Catholic Hospital.
The court’s ruling holds the company liable for the injuries and losses suffered by Quoiquoi and orders it to pay the full US$405,000 in damages.
