Woman Trespasses into Unopened Restaurant, Falls After Being Barked at by Restaurant Dog, Loses Lawsuit Seeking 650,000 Yuan

A woman who trespassed into a restaurant before its operating hours and fell after being barked at by the resident dog, sought 650,000 yuan in compensation but lost her lawsuit. 'Amaoh Restaurant' in Ximending, Taipei, is known for its friendly Golden Retriever that guards the store. Its business hours are from 12 PM to 10 PM. On March 22, 2025, at 11 AM, the restaurant had not yet opened, and the first-floor rolling shutter was half-open for staff access. However, Ms. Liu and her ex-husband, Mr. Wu, entered the premises anyway. As Ms. Liu reached the second-floor staircase, the restaurant's dog approached and barked at the intruders. Ms. Liu claimed she was startled and fell from the second floor, sustaining a closed fracture of her right toes, multiple bruises on her right leg, both knees, left calf, and left hand, according to medical diagnosis. Ms. Liu initially sued the owner, Mr. Chen, for negligent injury, but the prosecutor's office decided not to indict. She then filed a civil lawsuit seeking 385,700 yuan for medical expenses, lost wages, and eyeglass repair, plus 268,945 yuan for emotional distress, totaling 654,645 yuan. She argued that the owner failed to properly train the dog and did not post a 'Beware of Dog' warning. Mr. Chen countered that information about the dog was available online, and a normal person wouldn't force entry when the shutter was only half-open, especially since Ms. Liu had visited before. The Taipei District Court reviewed surveillance footage and witness testimonies, concluding that the restaurant was indeed closed. It was normal for the dog to roam freely without a leash, and while it approached and barked, it did not attack. The court also noted that Ms. Liu continued walking from the first floor directly upstairs, indicating she was aware the upper floor was part of the restaurant. Her ex-husband's testimony that the shutter was two-thirds open and that his ex-wife had only visited once did not align with other statements and was not credited. The court ruled against Ms. Liu, ordering the restaurant owner to pay no compensation. A rare sensible judge 👏 You broke in when they weren't even open, sounds like you were deliberately trying to cause trouble 🙄