This seems to be common in Japan, but it still feels very strange to me. Last May, a 70 year old man jumped from the 43rd floor of an apartment building, killing himself and a cyclist riding on the sidewalk below. As a result, the Osaka Prefectural Police have now referred the dead 70 year old to prosecutors with the charge of gross negligence resulting in death. Relatives of the man told police that he talked of suicide because of medical problems, and there were indications that he had climbed over the railing. Autopsies determined the causes of death for both the 70 year old man and the cyclist were due to multiple traumatic injuries.
I posted about another case of a dead man being indicted here. That case was also in Osaka Prefecture.
Oh, how sad! The cyclist was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, this is another case of red tape, just like the one you wrote about previously. In THIS case, it might be important for the cyclist's family and the insurance company's policy. Probably, this can not be called a traffic accident. Nor can it be called negligent riding (who on earth expects danger to fall from the skies?), so if there is no other official explanation for the cyclist's death, compensation might not be paid out. In that case, it would be what the British call Hard Cheese! Now the prosecuter can make it Soft Cheese and force the insurance company to pay.
How bizarre.
ReplyDeleteOh, how sad! The cyclist was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is another case of red tape, just like the one you wrote about previously.
In THIS case, it might be important for the cyclist's family and the insurance company's policy. Probably, this can not be called a traffic accident. Nor can it be called negligent riding (who on earth expects danger to fall from the skies?), so if there is no other official explanation for the cyclist's death, compensation might not be paid out. In that case, it would be what the British call Hard Cheese! Now the prosecuter can make it Soft Cheese and force the insurance company to pay.