- After a fellow passenger on a train unexpectedly reclined his chair, he damaged the laptop of a student.
- Wang, the student, successfully sued Liu, a passenger, for $475.
- The court found that Liu failed to inform Wang of his intention to recline his chair.
China’s rail passenger who reclined in his train seat without notifying his fellow passengers was ordered to pay $475 damages. Hunan court documents.
The complainant — a university student identified in court documents as Wang — was using a newly purchased laptop on a fold-down table on a train to the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Liu was sitting in front and reclined his seat, crushing Wang’s laptop. This caused lasting damage to the screen.
The Xiangyin County People’s Court found that Liu did not inform Wang about his plans to recline, despite a sign requesting all travelers to “please notify passengers in the back row when you adjust your chair angle.”
The incident took place on March 4. Wang alerted police, who initiated discussions, but he and Liu failed to reach a compensation agreement — prompting Wang to sue Liu.
Wang demanded Liu to pay him 4,788yuan in compensation for repair costs and taxis to the repair workshop, as well as disruption to his travel.
This week, Xiangyin County People’s CourtOrdered Liu to pay Wang 3341 Yuan or approximately $475
This is 70% of the damages and the compensation Wang originally requested. Wang was found 30% responsible for the incident. It found that he was not alert enough to the potential consequences of any adjustment of the seat in front.
