Dubai court awards Rs 11 crore compensation to Indian injured in bus accident
This is the highest vehicle accident settlement an Indian has ever obtained in the history of the United Arab Emirates.
FollowDubai: An Indian who suffered terrible injuries in a bus accident more than three years ago while travelling from Oman to Dubai has been given Dh 5 million (nearly Rs 11 crore) in compensation. Muhammad Baig Mirza, then 20, was travelling from Muscat to Dubai after spending the Eid Al Fitr holidays with family when the accident happened in June 2019.
The bus driver struck an overhead height barrier built at the entrance to the Al Rashidiya Metro Station Parking, the upper-left portion of the vehicle was completely destroyed, killing 17 of the 31 passengers, 12 of whom were Indians (8 Malayalis included).
Mirza was admitted to Dubai's Rashid Hospital for more than two months. After being unconscious for 14 days, doctors declared that Mirza's chances of returning to a normal life were extremely slim because of the significant brain damage caused by the accident.
He was gearing up for his Mechanical Engineering final semester exam then. The accident prevented him from finishing his studies.
The UAE Insurance Authority initially considered the issue in court but only granted 10 lakh Dirhams in damages. In response, the petitioners went before the Court of Appeal and won a judgement awarding them Dhs 50 lakh in compensation. The insurance company twice appealed this decision in the Supreme Court, but the appellate court's decision was upheld.
According to representatives of Frangulf Attorneys, this is the highest vehicle accident settlement an Indian has ever obtained in the history of the United Arab Emirates.
Following the accident, the Oman-born driver was given a seven-year prison term and ordered to pay Dh3.4 million in blood money to the relatives of the deceased.
Lawyers said that Mirza's family had gone through severe hardships after the accident. The lawyers also suggested that the family would be able to survive at least in a small way with the compensation.
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