In 2018, Ms. Zhang Li (assumed name) from Shanghai traveled to Washington, D.C., U.S.A. The tour bus on which Ms. Zhang was riding was involved in a car collision and rollover accident, she was sent to a hospital in Virginia for emergency medical care. Upon examination, she suffered from three cracked ribs, chest fluid, damaged vocal cords, and extensive loss of back skin.

After the accident, Lawyer Cheng Shaoming, the director of TAHOTA Washington Law Firm, rushed to the hospital to visit her. Mr. Cheng Shaoming graduated from Southwest University of Political Science and Law and later received his doctorate degree from University of Texas School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in six states in the U.S.A, including Virginia, and has received professional training in consular protection from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has represented many Chinese people in their rights defense cases. “Chinese World” Program from CCTV has made a special report on a Chinese rights defense case represented by him.

Because Ms. Zhang was injured during the trip, Mr. Cheng filed a claim against the tour company and its insurance company under the Travel Contract. The tour company refused to settle the claim on the grounds that it was not the party responsible for the crash and subsequently declared bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the insurance company also refused to settle the claim on the grounds that the documents submitted by the travel company at the time of taking out the policy did not comply with the legal requirements. After the direct claim became invalid, Mr. Cheng filed a lawsuit against the tour company and its insurance company in Virginia court.

After making a series of painstaking investigation and evidence collection, and interviewing several parties involved in the accident, Mr. Cheng issued a persuasive accident summary report to the court, the travel company and the insurance company. The reconstruction of the accident by the involved parties and the analysis of the accident site by the expert witness provide sufficient evidence to prove that the driver from the tour company was substantially responsible for the accident. Although the document in its application for the policy has some defects, they did not render the policy legally invalid under Virginia law, and the policy was still legally valid.

After court mediation, the insurance company finally agreed to pay the claim to Ms. Zhang. The claim items cover medical expenses, lost incomes and pain allowance, totaling $1.17 million. Ms. Zhang said that although she unfortunately encountered a car accident during her trip to the U.S.A, she was fortunate enough to have the help of TAHOTA Law Firm to seek justice for her, and she appreciated the professionalism and dedication of the lawyers of TAHOTA Law Firm, and this case has a successful outcome because its layers made unremitting efforts.