A 22-year-old woman, identified as Liu, was seriously injured in a car accident while serving as a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding. The incident occurred during her return trip in a private vehicle arranged by the groom's family, resulting in multiple fractures and a severe injury that required 86 days of hospitalization. The groom's father, Guo, initially covered medical expenses totaling 15,737 yuan.

Subsequently, Liu filed a lawsuit against the parties involved in the accident. The court ruled that the insurance company and the at-fault driver were liable, ordering them to compensate Liu for nursing costs, medical fees, lost wages, and other damages amounting to over 56,000 yuan. Following this judgment, Guo initiated his own legal action against Liu, claiming the 15,737 yuan he advanced constituted unjust enrichment and should be returned.

In her defense, Liu argued that her role as a bridesmaid was an act of unpaid assistance. She contended that Guo's payment was either a voluntary gift or a moral compensation, and that his lawsuit represented a "reversal of a moral act." She further claimed that Guo's taking of the original medical invoices hindered her ability to claim from the responsible parties, and repaying him would cause her a double loss.

According to information from China Judgments Online, the Zhuanghe City People's Court in Liaoning Province recently issued a first-instance judgment on the matter.

Court's Rationale and Ruling

The court found that Liu, a friend of the bride, attended the wedding on October 20, 2024. After the ceremony, the car she was traveling in, arranged by Guo, was involved in a collision. Liu sustained injuries including a left acetabular fracture and hip dislocation. With no family present at the scene, Guo paid the initial emergency and hospitalization fees.

A traffic police investigation determined the driver of the car Liu was in bore primary responsibility for the accident, with the truck driver bearing secondary responsibility. Liu was deemed not at fault.

Liu later received a judgment from a Shenyang court against the driver and the insurance company, securing compensation for her losses. That judgment was upheld on appeal in February 2026.

The Zhuanghe court, applying Article 122 of China's Civil Code concerning unjust enrichment, reasoned that since Liu's losses had already been compensated through the prior judgment, her continued possession of the funds advanced by Guo lacked legal basis. The court stated that Guo's arrangement of transportation was for Liu's convenience and that he was not at fault for causing the accident. The court found Liu's argument that the payment was a gratuitous act unsupported by evidence.

Consequently, the court ruled that Guo's claim was reasonable and legally founded. It ordered Liu to return the 15,737 yuan in medical expenses to Guo.