Accident involving a child due to jaywalking, controversy over unfair repair charges by rental car company

A child suddenly let go of their parent's hand and ran into the road, colliding with a vehicle and causing damage to a rental car. The rental company is controversially charging the driver for repair costs and loss of rental income.

On the 11th, a video titled "Do I have to be responsible for the repair costs of a rental car when I did nothing wrong?" was released on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV.'

According to the video, the accident occurred on the 7th at 9:30 PM on the road in front of Gwangalli Beach (with a speed limit of 30 km/h). The child, who was on the sidewalk, suddenly let go of their parent's hand and ran into the road, colliding with a vehicle driven by person A, which was traveling slowly.

Person A applied the brakes but could not avoid the accident. The child's parents quickly took the child back to the sidewalk, and person A also got out of the car to check on the child's condition.

Fortunately, the child was transported to the hospital by ambulance and was reported to be without significant issues.

The problem arose when the rental car company demanded repair costs and loss of rental income from person A after the rental car was damaged in the accident.

Person A expressed, "The child is 8 years old, and I rented the car for 58 hours on that day. I called the rental car insurance, and the claim has been processed. The accident happened because the child jaywalked and suddenly ran out; should I bear the repair costs when I’m not eligible for any compensation?" feeling wronged.

Upon hearing the situation, lawyer Han Moon-cheol stated, "Person A is not at fault. How can you avoid an accident when a child suddenly appears like that?" He believed that it is appropriate for the rental car company to claim damages from the child's parents when the car owner is not at fault.

He further advised, "It is advisable to have personal liability insurance to prepare for such situations."

Additionally, another lawyer commented on the police report, stating, "In cases of car vs. pedestrian accidents, police often say the car is at fault regardless of the circumstances. If they penalize you and impose a fine, go for a summary judgment. There was no fault here; you should be acquitted in summary judgment."

Image source: youtube 'Han Moon-cheol tv'