A Taiwanese man was sentenced to two years in jail after going to extreme lengths to claim insurance money by getting both his legs amputated.
According to the South China Morning Post, Zhang soaked his legs in a bucket of dry ice for 10 hours, which caused serious nerve damage that led to both legs being amputated. He later tried to claim compensation from five insurance companies.
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He purchased multiple insurance policies
Zhang, who was a university student in Taipei at the time, had taken out multiple insurance policies from five different companies between 2005 and January 2023.
In January 2023, Zhang conspired with his friend Liao (the mastermind) to stage a fake accident.
On January 26, the pair bought dry ice in New Taipei City and returned to Liao’s home in the Zhongshan District, where Zhang soaked both of his legs in buckets filled with dry ice from 2 AM until noon while tied to a chair.
Liao reportedly documented the entire process with photos and videos. Two days later, they went to Mackay Memorial Hospital to seek medical treatment.
He claimed the frostbite was from riding a motorcycle on a cold night
Doctors diagnosed Zhang with fourth-degree frostbite extending up to his calves, along with bone necrosis, a blood infection, and severe muscle damage.
They falsely claimed that Zhang had developed frostbite after riding a motorcycle on a cold night. He then submitted claims under eight insurance policies from five different companies, totalling NT$41.26 million (about RM5.97 million).
Only one insurer paid out NT$236,427 (about RM34,249), while the remaining four detected the fraud and denied the claims. The fraud was eventually uncovered, and the companies brought the case to court.
On June 20, the Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years in prison, while Liao received a six-year jail term.
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