When talking about her husband's sudden departure, Gao Ziqiong was extremely sad.
Judge dies of drunkenness; family sues co-diners for 840,000 yuan in compensation. The court said it needs to consult with leadership and will respond within 7 days.
We Chinese drink alcohol during festivals and celebrations, we drink to see off the old and welcome the new, we drink while doing business and making friends, and even when things don't go well, we drink to drown our sorrows. The cases we are reporting today all involve alcohol. Alcohol is a common drink in social interactions, and it is common for friends to toast and encourage drinking, but drinking should be moderate and not excessive. The death of someone from drunkenness brings incalculable loss to themselves and their families, and those who accompanied them in drinking also have to compensate accordingly. As for drunk driving, it treats one’s own and others' lives as trivial matters.
Therefore, to curb "alcohol lawsuits", both drinkers and those who encourage drinking need to exercise self-discipline, pH meter. Similar cases also remind everyone: while glasses clink at banquets, one must control oneself, and must not sacrifice one’s health or even life for the sake of camaraderie.
Several judges from the Mile Court went out for dinner and drinks after work, and unexpectedly one of them died from excessive drunkenness. The deceased's family sued those who were present at the dinner, demanding joint compensation of 8.4 million yuan.
Plaintiff: Husband got drunk, co-diners did nothing to save him.
"Knowing that my husband was drunk, no one informed me, this is completely an act of neglect!" Speaking about her husband's sudden passing, the 40-year-old Gao Ziqiong was very saddened. She told reporters that her husband Zhang Zhongxiang was 45 years old and served as the director of the Supervision Room of the Mile County Court, a senior judge. On the afternoon of August 12 last year, her husband had dinner and drank alcohol with fellow judges Jiang and Li from the same unit at a farm restaurant in the county town. There were a total of eight people dining together, including some from other units. "Around 8 p.m., Jiang and another friend sent my husband home. After arriving at the neighborhood, my husband refused to get out of the car, so they took him to the parking lot behind the Mile County Court office area and let him sleep alone in the car with the windows closed. Jiang and the others then went to drink tea nearby. Around midnight on the 13th, they returned and found my husband cold and unresponsive. They rushed him to the hospital, where doctors confirmed his death." According to the forensic examination, he died from excessive alcohol consumption leading to ethanol poisoning and acute hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis.
Gao Ziqiong said that after her husband became drunk, those who dined with him that evening bore the responsibility to take care of and properly arrange for him. They could have taken him to the hospital to sober up, or brought him home. Instead, they left him alone in the car to sleep with the windows closed, which caused him to suffocate and ultimately led to his death. "That night, I was walking in the neighborhood when I encountered colleague Li, who was with my husband drinking alcohol. Li didn't even mention that my husband was drunk." Gao Ziqiong expressed that after her husband's death, none of these co-drinkers showed any remorse towards her and her family, not even offering a word of condolence, which made her feel very disheartened. "It has been 8 months since my husband's death. Apart from the pain of losing a loved one that I and my family bear, no one else has taken any responsibility for it. I must seek justice for my husband's wrongful death."
Defendant: Deceased only drank half a glass of baijiu.
"He called me four times that day inviting me to dinner. Our 20-year-plus master-apprentice relationship was ruined over half a glass of alcohol," said Judge Jiang, whom we found yesterday afternoon in the archives room of the Mile County Court. Jiang claimed that more than 20 years ago, when Zhang Zhongxiang transferred to the court, he was Zhang's mentor, and they always regarded each other as master and apprentice, maintaining a very close relationship. On the day of the incident, because he himself had heart disease and high blood pressure and couldn't drink alcohol, each person only poured a small cup of baijiu, approximately one liang (approximately 50 ml), and during the drinking, Zhang Zhongxiang spilled the alcohol, leaving only half a cup, at most one liang of baijiu. "At that time, the disciple was very conscious, he wasn't drunk at all. As for the appraisal result indicating death from drunkenness, I can't explain the exact reason."
"When he wouldn't get out of the car and kept cursing me," Jiang said. That night, he and another colleague drove Zhang Zhongxiang to his house, but Zhang insisted on not getting out of the car and loudly cursed him, so they drove the car to the open-air parking lot behind the court. The apprentice claimed he wanted to sleep inside the car, so they opened the car windows before going nearby to drink tea.
Judge Li's account was basically the same as Jiang's. Li said that when he met Gao Ziqiong walking in the neighborhood gate that night, he asked if Zhang Zhongxiang had returned home, and there was no ignoring or lack of greeting.
Court: Need to consult with leadership, will respond within 7 days.
Yesterday, Gao Ziqiong sued Jiang, Li, and the other 7 people who participated in the drinking session at the Mile County People's Court, demanding that the 7 defendants jointly compensate the plaintiff for funeral expenses, death compensation, transportation fees, accommodation fees, meal fees, dependent living expenses, appraisal fees, notary fees, mental distress damages, lost wages, and other costs totaling 843,000 yuan.
The staff of the filing department of the Mile County People's Court stated that the Mile Court can file the case, but the trial may not necessarily take place in the Mile Court, as both the plaintiff and defendant involve employees of this court. First, they need to consult with higher-level leadership before determining the matter, and will give the family a response within 7 days. Relevant leaders of the court indicated that they hope the plaintiff can reduce the amount of compensation, and the court will also do the work with the defendants, hoping that both sides can sit down and resolve the matter through mediation. (Reported by Tian Tian)