The lawsuit against a delivery man in Jiangmen city concluded in mid-September. The appellate court upheld the original verdict, completely rejecting the compensation claim from the victim's family.
On the afternoon of 17/6/2025, Li, a JD delivery driver, was operating his electric tricycle when he noticed an elderly man fall on the sidewalk via his rearview mirror. He immediately stopped to check on the man, called for emergency services, and accompanied the victim to the hospital. After helping with admission procedures, Li also made several calls to check on the elderly man's condition.
 |
Li, the delivery driver, in Jiangmen, Guangdong province, China. *Photo: HK01*
Several months later, the victim's family unexpectedly filed a lawsuit. They alleged that the noise and wind from Li's vehicle startled the elderly man, causing him to trip and fall. The plaintiffs also accused Li of negligent driving and failing to maintain a safe distance, demanding 920,000 yuan (approximately 3.5 billion VND) for medical expenses and emotional distress.
In court, Li's lawyer refuted the allegations, citing a lack of evidence. He also argued that unfairly assigning blame to a rescuer would undermine the spirit of community support.
Throughout the legal proceedings, JD's delivery station and the company's legal department provided continuous and comprehensive legal support to Li.
Authorities determined the incident occurred in a camera blind spot. However, an inspection report revealed no collision marks on the tricycle. Crucially, in his initial statement at the hospital, the elderly man himself confirmed he fell on his own, unrelated to the delivery driver's vehicle.
Based on the evidence, the trial court dismissed the lawsuit. The victim's family appealed to the Jiangmen City Intermediate People's Court, but their appeal was also rejected.
In its final ruling, the court emphasized: "The law protects and encourages good deeds, and will not presume that a rescuer caused an accident, thereby upholding the spirit of community support."
By Minh Phuong (Sources: iFeng, HK01)
