Yet what is sad about this situation and others like it, is how easily they could be avoided.
The answer to this moral dilemma can be found just down the road from where this tragedy occurred in the city of Shenzhen.
Because of many similar incidents, Shenzhen's leaders decided to study what other nations did in similar circumstances. Shenzhen's Good Person's Law took effect in August. It generally shields good Samaritans from being held liable when coming to the aid of others, as it puts the burden of proof on the person who was injured, and severely penalizes those who are found falsely claiming to have been injured by the good Samaritan.
Had this incident been subject to the same law, the old man would have had to prove that Wu caused the accident in order to claim compensation.
Perhaps the rest of the country should copy Shenzhen's example, as only when false accusers are penalized and punished will people be able to come to the aid of others without fear of being wrongly accused.
As we look forward to the Year of the Horse, let's hope that it will be the one in which a nationwide good Samaritan law is introduced. Only when judges throw the book at these con artists, who curb people's instinct to do good, will people be able to help others knowing that not only will they not be dragged into a nightmare of false accusations, but they will also be helping those in genuine need.
The author, Harvey Dzodin, is a senior adviser to Tsinghua University and former director and vice-president of ABC Television in New York.
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