Zurich China Pays Out $19.5 Million After U.S. Child Swallows Battery
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The insurer’s client was sued for $125.2 million after a 6-year-old boy swallowed the remote control’s battery, causing severe and permanent gastrointestinal injuries. Photo: AI generated
The Chinese arm of Switzerland’s Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. has paid out just over 140 million yuan ($19.5 million) after one of its policyholders settled a case in which an allegedly faulty air conditioner remote control injured a child in the U.S.
In a statement last week, Zurich General Insurance Co. (China) Ltd. (Zurich China) didn’t name its client — the Chinese exporter of the remote — but said the client had reached a $40 million settlement with the victim.
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- Zurich Insurance China paid over 140 million yuan ($19.5 million) as part of a $40 million settlement after a faulty remote control from a Chinese exporter injured a US child.
- The insurance covered part of the settlement following a $125.2 million lawsuit; additional settlement costs were likely paid by other insurers.
- Zurich China's insurance premium income reached approximately 1.1 billion yuan in 2024, a 7% increase from the previous year.
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Who’s Who
- Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.
- Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.'s Chinese branch, Zurich China, paid 141.28 million yuan ($19.5 million) to settle a product liability case. The case involved a Chinese exporter whose faulty air conditioner remote control caused severe injuries to a child in the U.S. Zurich China, as the excess liability insurer, covered its policy limit after primary coverage was exhausted.
- Zurich General Insurance Co. (China) Ltd.
- Zurich General Insurance Co. (China) Ltd. (Zurich China) is the Chinese arm of Switzerland's Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. It is Shanghai-based, holds a property insurance license in China, and its core businesses include product liability insurance and cargo transportation insurance. Zurich China's premium income grew to 1.1 billion yuan in 2024.
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What Happened When
- July 2022：
- A 6-year-old boy in the U.S. swallowed the battery from an allegedly faulty air conditioner remote control, resulting in severe and permanent gastrointestinal injuries.
- April 2023：
- The Chinese exporter (Zurich China's policyholder) informed Zurich China that it was being sued for $125.2 million related to the incident.
- 2024：
- Zurich China's insurance premium income reached around 1.1 billion yuan. Claims payments for the year totaled 284 million yuan.
- By June 18, 2025：
- Zurich China made cumulative payments totaling 141.28 million yuan as part of the settlement and exhausted its policy’s liability limit.
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