A Taichung woman surnamed Lin (林) has won a civil lawsuit for NT$1.79 million (US$56,488) in the Taichung District Court after sustaining injuries after being chased by a dog while riding her scooter.
The court has ruled in Lin’s favor and ordered a man surnamed Kuo (郭) to pay her NT$1.79 million in compensation.
Lin was riding through a residential area on Nov. 29, 2022, when a black dog suddenly chased her, the court ruling said.
Photo: Taipei Times
In her attempt to get away from the dog, she crashed into a parked truck, resulting in injuries to her hands, thighs, ankles, a head injury and a partial dislocation of her right wrist, the ruling said.
Since the accident, she has developed a fear of dogs and has anxiety when she hears them barking or passes them on the street, to the extent that she cannot visit her family members who own a dog, it said, adding her doctor diagnosed her as having post-traumatic stress disorder.
Lin sued Kuo for NT$1.99 million in total compensation; NT$1.64 million for the reduced mobility of her wrist, NT$300,000 for emotional distress and the rest for other expenses stemming from the accident.
Kuo said that the dog was a stray he had been feeding, but he did not dispute that the dog could be considered his and expressed a willingness to compensate Lin.
However, given that he only makes a living through odd jobs and gig work, he could only afford to pay her NT$50,000 to NT$60,000, he told the court.
The court ruled that Kuo was responsible for compensation, as the owners of animals are liable for damages they cause and he did not dispute that Lin was injured due to the dog chasing her, nor did he provide evidence he had adequately restrained it (such as by using a leash).
The judge said that although Lin worked prior to the accident, she is currently unemployed, whereas Kuo’s irregular work provides him with NT$18,000 to NT$20,000 a month.
Considering all of these factors, the judge found her claim of NT$300,000 for emotional damages to be too high and reduced it to NT$100,000, making Kuo responsible for NT$1.79 million in total in compensation.
The ruling can be appealed.
The High Prosecutors’ Office has issued a reminder to owners that they are liable to damage their animals cause, citing an increasing number of cases of dogs causing accidents or injuries.
Furthermore, if the owner fails to properly restrain the dog, leading to injury or death, they can also be criminally liable for negligent injury or even manslaughter.
Legal experts generally agree that the definition of an “owner” excludes those who occasionally feed stray dogs, but includes people who provide long-term care for strays, as Kuo did in this case.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS