The Heartwarming Story Behind the Commendatory Banner: The Two-Way Journey of Trust and Entrustment 01
Recently, Guangdong Chenggong Law Firm was filled with a warm atmosphere. Mr. Fan, the client, and his spouse Ms. Liu held a commendatory banner embroidered with "Professional, Just, Kind, and Wise" and solemnly presented it to Lawyers Wang Lihai and Huang Cheng of the firm. The gilded characters on the banner not only highly recognized the professional services of Lawyer Wang Lihai's team but also carried the bitterness and hope of a couple spanning over two decades, as well as the relief and gratitude following the proper resolution of the doctor-patient dispute.
At the brief banner-presenting ceremony, Mr. Fan tightly held Lawyer Wang's hand and said, "Thank you for reaching out to help when we were most helpless, making us believe that the law not only has strength but also warmth."
Mutual Support in Adversity: A Couple's Deep Affection Writes a Hymn to Life 02
1. Sudden Change in Fate: Accidental Injury and the Long Journey of Seeking Medical Treatment
The story traces back to 2002, when Mr. Fan from Xuzhou and his wife moved south to Shenzhen to build their lives. Believing they could create a happy life with their own hands, they instead suffered a right femoral fracture due to an accident. After undergoing reduction and fixation surgery at a hospital in Shenzhen, they fell into a protracted treatment dilemma due to postoperative infection. At the time, the couple had meager income; faced with exorbitant daily medical expenses, they had to be discharged early. However, the hospital's discharge record only noted "cured," without issuing long-term medical advice, leading them to mistakenly believe their condition had improved and causing them to miss the optimal timing for anti-infective treatment, ultimately developing into chronic osteomyelitis.
2. Never Parting: Twenty Years of Companionship Illustrates the Power of Love
After Mr. Fan was diagnosed with chronic osteomyelitis in 2004, the couple's lives were completely transformed. Over more than two decades, Mr. Fan traveled across the country to seek treatment at dozens of hospitals, but many turned them away due to the complexity of his condition. Having undergone more than a dozen surgeries, the medical expenses drained the family's savings like flowing water. During the hardest times, Ms. Liu not only cared for her bedridden husband and young child but also took on odd jobs to earn meager income to support the family.
Facing her husband's repeatedly infected wounds and their crying, hungry child, Ms. Liu single-handedly shouldered the family's burdens with her fragile frame, pressing forward steadfastly. She self-studied nursing knowledge, daily cleaning and dressing Mr. Fan's wounds, massaging him for rehabilitation—never uttering a word of complaint. "He is my husband and the father of our child. As long as I'm here, I won't let him lose hope," said Ms. Liu in plain words that spoke to the most touching devotion in marriage. Under her meticulous care, despite enduring excruciating pain, Mr. Fan has always remained optimistic about life: "Without her, I might have been gone long ago. Meeting her is the greatest fortune of my three lives."
3. Dawn of Hope: Surgery at 304 Hospital and New Challenges
In 2024, the couple's long journey of seeking medical treatment finally saw a turning point at the PLA 304 Hospital. In June of that year, Mr. Fan successfully underwent hip replacement surgery at the 304 Hospital. However, the crisis of postoperative reinfection and their already depleted financial situation forced them to return to Shenzhen to negotiate compensation for subsequent medical expenses with the original treating hospital. By then, nearly two decades had passed since the 2006 court ruling ordering the hospital to compensate over 700,000 yuan. The complexity of legal procedures and the predicament of missing evidence plunged the couple back into confusion.
Professional Guidance to Break the Predicament: Targeted Strategies and Compassionate Perseverance of the Legal Team 03
1. Initial Assessment Upon Taking the Case: Initiating the Journey to Defend Rights with Empathy
Initially, Mr. and Mrs. Fan had difficulty communicating with the hospital. Later, after inquiries from multiple sources, they contacted Lawyer Wang Lihai of Chenggong Law Firm. When receiving Mr. and Mrs. Fan, Lawyers Wang Lihai and Huang Cheng sharply perceived the particularity of the case: there was already a valid judgment that had been enforced, disputes over the amount of subsequent medical expenses, and the urgent need for funds for the client's treatment. Considering the couple's financial difficulties, Lawyer Wang Lihai took the initiative to reduce the agency fees and led Lawyer Huang Cheng to handle Mr. Fan's related disputes on a semi-public welfare basis. After accepting the case, Lawyers Wang Lihai and Huang Cheng carefully studied and analyzed the case details, tailoring a mediation plan for Mr. Fan to communicate and negotiate with the hospital.
2. Key to Breaking the Deadlock: Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Difficulties in the Case
The three major difficulties of the case lie before the lawyers:
Difficulty in Quantifying Subsequent Medical Expenses: The 2006 judgment had already taken effect and been enforced, making it difficult to precisely quantify the subsequent intermittent medical expenses.
Risk of High Difficulty in Providing Evidence: The medical bills for multiple hospitalizations over the past two decades were lost, making it hard to prove the relevance and reasonableness of the subsequent expenses. If litigation is pursued, the authentication process is complex and time-consuming.
Urgent Needs of the Parties: Mr. Fan, who had a re-infection after surgery, urgently needed to return to Beijing for treatment. The timeliness of fund availability directly impacts the control of his condition.
3. Strategic Innovation: Prioritizing Mediation and Diversified Consultation Yielding Results
Based on in-depth analysis of the case details, Lawyers Wang Lihai and Huang Cheng decided to break through the traditional litigation model and formulated a representation strategy of "prioritizing mediation with arbitration confirmation as a supplementary measure":
Building a communication bridge: The two representing lawyers visited the hospital multiple times. Based on the prior judgment, combined with Mr. Fan's medical records and expense lists from his treatment at the 304 Hospital, they conducted preliminary consultations with the hospital to enhance its intuitive understanding of Mr. Fan's condition progression over the past two decades.
Balancing the interests of both parties: Adopting a strategic retreat to advance, they proposed that if the hospital believes its technical capabilities are sufficient to cure Mr. Fan's condition, the couple would not claim any compensation. After objectively analyzing Mr. Fan's condition, the hospital stated it was indeed unable to help and expressed willingness to negotiate a compensation plan.
Introducing arbitration safeguards: After the doctor-patient parties reached a preliminary consensus, they promptly submitted an arbitration case to the Shenzhen International Arbitration Court and communicated with the arbitration secretary to schedule the hearing as soon as possible. The mediation agreement was confirmed through the arbitration process, endowing it with legal effect and ensuring worry-free implementation.
After countless face-to-face negotiations and telephone communications, the two parties finally reached a mediation plan: The hospital would make a one-time payment of over 500,000 yuan for subsequent medical expenses and living allowances, confirmed through arbitration by the Shenzhen International Arbitration Court. The hospital promised to pay the compensation within 10 working days, and Mr. and Mrs. Fan have now returned to the 304 Hospital to receive subsequent treatment.
4. Humanistic Care: A Warm Safeguard Beyond the Law
During multiple rounds of communication and negotiations with a hospital in Shenzhen, the hospital did not shirk its responsibilities. It not only advanced 30,000 yuan in living expenses to Mr. and Mrs. Fan but also proactively admitted Mr. Fan to the hospital for treatment, closely monitoring the progression of his condition. Additionally, it organized a multidisciplinary expert consultation. However, due to the hospital's limited technical capabilities and the unique nature of Mr. Fan's condition, it was unable to implement further diagnostic and treatment measures.
From Individual Cases to Society: Profound Reflections on Building a Harmonious Doctor-Patient Relationship 04
1. Rational Rights Protection: The Critical Path to Avoiding "Medical Disturbances"
Looking back at this case, Mr. and Mrs. Fan chose to defend their rights through litigation twenty years ago, and still resolved new disputes through legal channels two decades later, serving as a model of rational rights protection. Lawyer Huang Cheng stated, "Medical acts are highly risky and uncertain. Even if there is negligence, the responsibilities of both parties must be defined through professional appraisal. 'Medical disturbances' not only disrupt medical order but may also cause patients to miss opportunities for legitimate rights protection."
2. Diversified Dispute Resolution: The Bridging Role of Lawyers and Their Social Value
The successful mediation of this case has demonstrated the dual roles of lawyers in doctor-patient disputes: they are not only guardians of the parties' rights and interests but also buffers for conflicts. Lawyer Wang Lihai emphasized, "True professionalism lies in balancing emotion and reason within the legal framework. We oppose 'using disruptions to exert pressure' and 'mechanical justice,' but instead facilitate solutions through diversified mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration, enabling doctors and patients to seek resolutions through mutual trust."
3. Building Harmony Together: Value Extension from Individual Cases to Society
The active cooperation of medical institutions was a key factor in the proper resolution of this case. During the mediation, the hospital took the initiative to advance living expenses and organize multidisciplinary consultations, demonstrating humanistic care and a sense of responsibility. Lawyer Wang Lihai believes, "The proper handling of medical disputes requires both doctors and patients to set aside their differences and return to the original purpose of 'treating illnesses and saving lives.'"
Enlightenment Beyond the Commendatory Banner: The Warmth of the Law Illuminates the Path of Rights Protection 05
A commendatory banner is not just an end, but even more so a starting point. It witnessed the turnaround of Mr. and Mrs. Fan from despair to hope, recorded the process by which Lawyer Wang Lihai and Lawyer Huang Cheng's team resolved the dispute with professionalism and warmth, and further reflected the profound integration of humanistic care and awareness of rules in a rule-of-law society.
Against the backdrop of frequent medical disputes today, this case provides a referenceable example: when legal rationality combines with human warmth, and when professional strategies collide with sincere communication, even the most complex conflicts can find a path to resolution. As Lawyer Wang Lihai noted when closing the case, "What we safeguard is not only the legitimate rights and interests of the parties, but also society's confidence in fairness and justice. May every dispute be properly resolved on the track of the rule of law, and may every act of trust be met with a warm response."
From the mutual support of a couple, to the professional dedication of lawyers, and onward to the inclusive and trusting doctor-patient relationship, this two-decade-long dispute has finally drawn a satisfying conclusion. It tells us that under the sunlight of the rule of law, no party in a difficult situation should walk alone. The professionalism and warmth of representing lawyers will always be the best "medicine" to resolve conflicts.
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