A man died after a drunk driving accident collided with a parked vehicle on the roadside. The court ordered the insurance company to pay 480,000 yuan! After the family received the compensation, they sued six drinking buddies for an additional 280,000 yuan, and the case was decided.

Night Market Vendor Wu participated in three drinking sessions. After getting drunk and driving an electric tricycle home, he was involved in a traffic accident and died. His parents received more than 480,000 yuan in insurance compensation and then sued six drinking companions for over 280,000 yuan. According to the China Judgments Online, the People’s Court of Xinmi City, Henan Province, recently published the first-instance verdict. Wu himself was found to be at significant fault and primarily responsible. One drinking companion was found to have minor fault and ordered to pay 7,000 yuan; the other five companions were not held liable.

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The court found the facts as follows: Wu and six defendants all operated food stalls at a night market. On September 16, 2025, at around 10 p.m., after peak business hours, Wu took a bottle of white liquor and drank alone. He drank with the owner of a roasted oyster stall (first session), and later with Ma B, Li A, and Li B (second session), and with Ma A and Zhang (third session). They finished drinking around 1 a.m. on September 17, 2025.

Zhang, as the last person to separate from Wu, helped Wu close his stall. Wu then drove away on his electric tricycle. On the way home, he collided with a parked car on the road, resulting in Wu’s death, one person dead, and two cars damaged. The Xinmi City Public Security Traffic Police issued a traffic accident report, attributing main responsibility to Wu and secondary responsibility to Long. The case was heard in court, which issued a civil judgment ordering the insurance company to pay Wu’s parents 483,263.80 yuan.

Wu’s parents argued that the six defendants, as drinking companions, had a duty to warn or dissuade Wu from driving after drinking. Because they failed to do so, and because Wu’s drinking and driving caused the accident, they should be liable. They sued for over 281,132.85 yuan in damages.

The court held that, based on the facts, defendants Ma B, Li A, and Li B, as drinking companions during Wu’s second session, could not influence Wu’s drinking or subsequent traffic accident during the third session and were not at fault. Wu brought his own alcohol and drank voluntarily during all three sessions. Although Ma A participated in the third session, he did not drink or encourage drinking and was not responsible. Wu, after voluntarily becoming intoxicated, drove and caused the fatal accident, which was his own major fault. Zhang, as a drinking companion, failed to effectively dissuade Wu from driving while drunk, bearing minor fault. Considering his lower degree of fault and his financial situation, the court ordered Zhang to pay 7,000 yuan. In summary, the court ordered defendant Zhang to pay the plaintiff Wu’s parents a total of 7,000 yuan.

Red Star News Reporter Jiang Long

Editor Guo Yu