Family sues 10 passers-by for not helping elderly man who collapsed and died in street
A family sued passers-by for not helping an elderly man who collapsed and died.
The family of an 87-year-old man in China, who died after collapsing on the street took 10 pedestrians to court, accusing them of failing to help and demanding compensation, reported The Sun.
The elderly man, described as normally healthy, had been riding his electric bicycle when he suddenly felt unwell and fell. Surveillance footage captured the moment he collapsed on a street in Shandong province. Though several pedestrians noticed the incident and slowed down, none stopped to assist — except for one young boy, who was discouraged by an adult nearby.
“This old man is meant to blackmail. There are too many such similar cases,” the adult reportedly said to the child, according to news portal.
The family argued that the passers-by’s indifference contributed to the man’s death and demanded 140,000 yuan (US$19,000) from each of the 10 individuals.
However, in a March verdict, the court ruled that none of the pedestrians were liable to pay compensation. It reasoned that because there had been no physical contact between the deceased and the passers-by, they had no legal obligation to intervene.
No legal boundaries
Under China’s Civil Code, ordinary citizens — unlike doctors or police officers — are not legally required to provide emergency aid.
The ruling sparked widespread discussion online. Some users lamented the state of public compassion: “Our society’s moral standards are declining. What a shame!”
Others defended the pedestrians' hesitation: “I understand the reluctance of the passers-by. They could be blackmailed by the old man and his relatives. So doing nothing is aimed at protecting themselves.”
Incidents from the past have contributed to public fear of helping strangers. In 2017, a woman in Beijing who tried to support an elderly man after he fell was extorted for 100,000 yuan, although she was eventually cleared by video evidence.
A 2006 case in Nanjing set a controversial precedent when a man was sued by a woman he helped after she fell, with the judge ruling against him. “If you had not run her down, why did you come to support her?” the court asked.
