Eight years ago, in a lawsuit in which a third-year student at the time and his family sought compensation from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government after he jumped into the pool following the teacher's instructions during a swimming class at a metropolitan high school, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the man had a promising future. The high school student was seriously injured in the accident and will require assistance for the foreseeable future, and ordered the metropolitan government to pay more than 380 million yen.
In July 2016, during a swimming class at a metropolitan high school in Tokyo's Koto Ward, Kiryu Uchikawa (25), a third-year student at the time, hit his head on the bottom of the pool when he took a dive, damaging the spinal cord in his neck. I was seriously injured.
Mr. Uchikawa and his family had requested compensation from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for this accident, alleging that the teacher's inappropriate guidance was the cause.
In the ruling on the 26th, Tokyo District Court Chief Judge Masaki Katano said, ``A high school student with a promising future was seriously injured in the accident, suffered physical and mental pain, and is now in a condition where he will require assistance for the future.'' The government ordered the city to pay more than 380 million yen.
Taking into account that there is no hope that the condition of the patient's disability will improve, the judgment awarded not only compensation but also the cost of purchasing a wheelchair and nursing care that will be needed in the future as compensation.
After this accident, the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education banned diving during swimming lessons at all metropolitan high schools, and the Japan Swimming Federation also announced guidelines for instructors, among other measures.
Additionally, the instructor was charged with negligent injury in the course of this accident and was sentenced to a fine of 1 million yen.
Plaintiff Kiryu Uchikawa: ``I cannot forgive without a direct apology from the teacher.''
Commenting on the ruling, plaintiff Kiryu Uchikawa said, ``About eight years have passed since the accident. During this time, my mother passed away and I lost a great deal of support. I have been living a life of inconvenience.I have repeatedly asked the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for an explanation and sincere response regarding this accident, but it has not been enough.As for the teacher, there has been no direct apology, and even after the verdict is issued, I cannot forgive this," he commented.