On April 28th, lawyer Duan Lian from Hunan Yuelong Law Firm collapsed while handling a case and unfortunately passed away after receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 8 days at the age of 39. It is lamentable that besides his daily work on cases, Duan Lian also worked part-time as a ride-hailing driver to supplement his family income.
On May 19th, a charity fundraising initiative initiated by the Changsha Lawyers Association circulated on the internet. The initiative revealed that young lawyer Duan Lian from Hunan Yuelong Law Firm collapsed unexpectedly while handling a case and passed away after 8 days of treatment in the ICU, at the young age of 39.
According to the initiative, Lawyer Duan Lian came from a poor background and worked to support himself while persistently studying for the bar exam. After ten years of effort, he fulfilled his dream of becoming a lawyer in 2022. In his four years of practice, his caseload was not abundant, so he worked as a part-time ride-hailing driver to support his family. As the only child in his family, his elderly and frail parents relied on him, with a younger sibling needing care as well. Additionally, burdened with external debts, his untimely passing left his financially vulnerable family in a dire situation.
On May 20th, Ms. Tang from the office of the Changsha Lawyers Association confirmed to “Jiupai News” that the fundraising initiative was genuine. Duan Lian was a member of the association, and the fundraising was initiated after his wife sought help, currently raising funds internally within the association.
On the same day, the head of Hunan Yuelong Law Firm, Dai Zhuo, told “Jiupai News” that Duan Lian had a cerebral hemorrhage caused by high blood pressure while handling a case, and despite medical efforts, he passed away. His family reached out to the lawyers’ association for help, and the association verified the situation before launching the fundraising campaign.
This incident immediately caught the attention of social media users.
Some netizens expressed sadness, questioning, “Is it his personal issue or a problem with our society that a lawyer had to work as a ride-hailing driver to make ends meet?” Others commented, “It’s heartbreaking to see an elite professional like a lawyer struggling to make a living driving for a ride-hailing service.” “Even lawyers have to take on part-time jobs now…”
“Most grassroots lawyers can relate to this situation.” “The legal profession heavily relies on resources.” “Lawyers without political and business connections find it hard to excel.”
Some netizens pointed out, “This is a classic work-related injury case. As long as the company issues a certificate confirming the death during the work process, one can apply for worker’s compensation benefits. Many may not be aware of this.” “Companies have worker’s compensation insurance, and judicial bureaus and lawyer associations require lawyers to pay into it, allowing them to claim for work-related deaths. Besides that, law firms generally require lawyers to purchase accident insurance, which family members can also claim.”