TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei prosecutors rejected a student's negligence lawsuit against a Japanese restaurant owner after he swallowed a fish bone.

At the end of last year, a high school student went to a chain Japanese restaurant and ordered a bowl of eel rice. He claimed to have injured his throat after eating a fish bone, reported UDN.

After learning about the incident, the boy’s family filed a lawsuit against the restaurant owner for negligence causing injury. Both parties attempted to reach a settlement, but negotiations broke down over the amount of compensation.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office investigated the case. It concluded that when people consume fish, they should exercise caution and chew their food slowly.

The office determined that the restaurant owner was not at fault. 

The plaintiff provided prosecutors with a medical certificate. It confirmed the presence of a fish bone that had become lodged in his throat.

However, he had sought medical attention two hours after finishing his meal. It was therefore impossible to prove a causal relationship between the fish bone and the eel rice he had eaten.

The plaintiff argued the restaurant did not warn customers of the dangers of the food. He said the restaurant should label the meal with warnings such as "eat with caution."

The prosecutors office said the restaurant did not make any guarantees on its promotional materials that the eel dish would be free of fish bones. It added it is common knowledge that fish may contain bones.