On May 14, 2001, a Golden Dragon van owned by Shanghai Xiangsheng Medical Device Factory was driving on the Inner Ring Elevated Road in Shanghai. During the journey, the left rear wheel, along with the half – shaft, suddenly flew off. The wheel rolled over the road guardrail and fell from a height of 5 meters, hitting the head of Zhou Lei, a young man walking normally on the sidewalk under the viaduct. Zhou Lei died of craniocerebral hemorrhage despite full rescue efforts by the hospital.
After the accident, the Shanghai Traffic Police Corps launched an investigation and commissioned relevant departments to conduct a technical appraisal of the involved vehicle. The appraisal conclusion showed that the deterioration of the lubrication condition of the left rear wheel half – shaft bearing was the cause of the accident. Zhou Lei’s relatives claimed 5 million yuan in compensation from the vehicle owner, the maintenance unit and the manufacturer, believing they all had unshirkable responsibilities. The three parties shifted blame to each other, and the case was difficult to handle due to the lack of authoritative appraisal institutions and industry standards.
