Good Deed Goes Unpunished? Family Sues Rescuer for $435,000, Verdict Reveals Society's Most Painful Side

A "saving someone only to be sued" incident occurred in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China. Last June, Li, a JD.com courier, was on his delivery route when he saw an elderly woman fall on the sidewalk. Although the woman said she didn't need to go to the hospital, he saw bloodstains on her nose, insisted on calling an ambulance, and accompanied her to the hospital, even checking on her recovery days later. Unexpectedly, several months later, her family sued him in court, demanding over 920,000 RMB for medical expenses, nursing fees, and disability compensation. The dispute centered on the fact that the location where the woman fell was a blind spot for surveillance cameras, lacking complete footage. A traffic police investigation found no obvious scratches or collision marks on Li's tricycle, making it impossible to confirm any contact. The elderly woman also repeatedly denied being hit by the tricycle at the hospital. The Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court ultimately ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove a causal relationship between Li's driving and the woman's fall, rejecting the appeal and upholding the non-liability ruling. It clearly stated: "A citizen's good deed cannot be used as a basis for presumed infringement." The verdict emphasized that presuming someone to be the perpetrator due to their act of rescue would severely dampen the willingness for social mutual assistance. Li stated that helping was instinctive and he would still intervene in the future, but he would be more mindful of preserving evidence. Although this is a Chinese news story, China also had a case this year where an elderly person fainted and died in a store. The store owner was sued simply for "helping them up." While the judge ultimately ruled the store owner not liable, the deceased's family threatened to cause a scene, and to resolve the matter peacefully, the store owner ended up paying "humanitarian compensation." It really feels like people's hearts are so treacherous these days. You have to think twice before doing good deeds. ☹️