Family sues 10 passers- for not helping elderly man who collapsed and died in street | Trending

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. A normally healthy elderly man suddenly fell ill and collapsed while riding his e-bike.(Representational Image/Pexel) 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 ass — except for one young boy, who was discouraged an adult near. “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-’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-, they had no legal obligation to intervene. No legal boundariesUnder China’s Civil Code, ordinary citizens — unlike doctors or police officers — are not legally required to provide emergency aid. Also read: Netflix star’s pre-surgery passport photo shocks airport officials: ‘I was barred from entering’ 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-. They could be blackmailed 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 video evidence. A 2006 case in Nanjing set a controversial precedent when a man was sued 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. Also read: Manager and HR ‘publicly reprimand’ hotel coordinator for resigning after promotion: ‘Unprofessional, disloyal’