Court orders metro to pay rider hurt by fallen drunk

Jiading District People's Court has ordered Shanghai's subway operator to pay 39,000 yuan ($6,258) to a rider who got injured on a metro station escalator, the court said Monday.

In 2011, the plaintiff, a man surnamed Luo, was riding up an escalator in Nanxiang Station on metro Line 11 when several passengers tumbled down on top of him, according to a press release from the court. The escalator was stopped by a passerby who punched the emergency stop button.

Luo was later diagnosed with seven fractured ribs. He tried negotiating with Shanghai No.2 Metro Operating Company, but the two parties couldn't reach an agreement on compensation.

Luo then sued the company for 55,000 yuan.

The subway company argued that it wasn't liable for Luo's injuries because the accident was caused by a drunken rider who fell down, rather than an escalator malfunction.

However, the court ruled that the company had a responsibility to investigate the cause of the accident to ensure the people involved had their legal rights protected. Because the company did not investigate the accident, the court ordered it to pay 80 percent of Luo's claim.