Shanghai Courier Seeks Work Compensation After Spine-Breaking Rescue

A Shanghai courier is seeking work-related injury compensation after he broke his spine while rescuing two people trapped under a car.

Local authorities are now fast-tracking his application for a "Good Samaritan" title to cover his medical costs.

Xin Zhiguo paid more than 30,000 yuan (US$4,362) for surgery after doctors diagnosed a lumbar fracture. He spent 70 days in bed and could not work.

The accident occurred on December 20 when an SUV struck a mother and daughter in a Putuo District residential complex.

The victims were crouching on the ground, burning paper offerings, when a vehicle rounded the corner and pinned them underneath. Xin joined in some workers of a rainwater and sewage renovation project in the complex to to lift the vehicle and rescue the victims.

"My first instinct was to save them," Xin said. "I felt a pain in my waist during the rescue, but I thought it was just a minor sprain, so I went back to work. I had no idea it was this serious or that the treatment would cost so much."

The local social security department initially rejected Xin's claim for work-related injury compensation. Officials said the rescue was a personal act and not part of his delivery duties.

In China, the "Good Samaritan" title, or Jian Yi Yong Wei, allows injuries from acts of bravery to be legally classified as work-related to grant rescuers access to state insurance.

Xin said he refused to lie by claiming he simply tripped at work to get easier access to insurance money.

The incident came just three days after another act of honesty by Xin, who found a bag containing 40,000 yuan in cash and turned it in to the police.

Subdistrict officials are now investigating the case to verify the rescue details.

"We should encourage such behavior," said Zhu Jiantao, director of the Ganquan Road Subdistrict Safety Office. "We have asked the local police to verify the materials and speed up the application process."