Woman Fined Rs 8 Lakh For Knocking Over Pedestrian, Causing Hip Fracture

A court in China has ordered a 29-year-old woman to pay 70,000 yuan (around Rs 8.30 lakh) in compensation after she accidentally knocked over a pedestrian, who suffered a hip fracture. The incident took place in May last year within a residential complex in Shandong.

The case has generated significant attention on Chinese social media platforms, with many questioning how a person walking behind could be held accountable when the person in front suddenly stops.

Surveillance footage, recently made public by the court, shows the pedestrian — a 59-year-old woman surnamed Liu — abruptly halting and turning around while taking a phone call. Seconds later, Wang, walking quickly behind Liu, collided with her. The impact caused Liu to fall and suffer a fractured hip. Medical assessments later determined that Liu had sustained a Grade 10 disability.

Liu took legal action against Wang, seeking 188,000 yuan (around Rs 22.30 lakh) in damages to cover medical bills, care expenses and compensation for the disability. She maintained that Wang's inattentiveness had caused the accident. Wang, in her defence, argued that the collision would not have happened had Liu not stopped so suddenly.

After reviewing the footage, the court acknowledged that both parties bore some degree of responsibility. While Liu had abruptly paused in the middle of the pathway, Wang was faulted for failing to observe her surroundings.

Following several mediation sessions, Wang agreed to compensate Liu with a reduced amount of 70,000 yuan, to be paid in instalments.

The verdict stirred further debate when the judge initially stated that Wang had failed to maintain a safe distance while walking behind Liu. This attracted criticism online, as the current Chinese Road Traffic Safety Law applies such safe-distance principles strictly to vehicles, not pedestrians.

In response to the backlash, a member of the court's adjudication committee, surnamed Guo, acknowledged the error. He apologised for the misleading statement.

A user said that people ought to maintain more personal space when walking or standing in line if there is enough room. 

Another commenter argued that if the person ahead had stopped and stepped backwards, the situation might be different. But based on the video, the person following should be held accountable for the incident. A third user focused on the court's handling of the matter, suggesting that judges need to be more careful when discussing cases publicly to avoid potential negative effects on society.

The discussion revived memories of a 2006 case in Nanjing, where a young man named Peng Yu was sued by an elderly woman after he had helped her to a hospital following a fall. The judge ruled in favour of the woman, citing that by common sense, no one would assist a stranger unless they were involved.