Kannur Native Awarded AED 1 Million in Compensation Following Car Accident in Dubai

Dubai: A woman from Neerchal, Kannur, has been awarded AED 1 million (approximately ₹2.37 crore) in compensation after sustaining severe injuries in a car accident on April 24, 2023. The incident occurred near the Bangladesh Consulate in Dubai’s Al Wahida area.

Rehmathbi Mamad Sali was crossing the road at a location where pedestrians are not permitted when she was hit by a Nissan Patrol car driven by a UAE national. Police and court investigations determined that the driver's negligence and failure to consider other road users caused the accident. However, the court also found Rehmathbi to be partially at fault for crossing the road without paying attention to the vehicles.

Following the accident, Rahmathbi was hospitalized at Rashid Hospital in Dubai. She suffered serious injuries, including a brain hemorrhage, a spinal fracture, and muscle weakness and partial paralysis in her right arm and leg.

In the criminal case related to the incident, the UAE national driver was fined AED 3,000, while Rahmathbi was fined AED 1,000.

Rahmathbi's family sought legal assistance from Salam Pappinissery, CEO of Yab Legal Services. Lawyers from the firm filed a compensation claim with the court, submitting medical certificates, the criminal case verdict, and other relevant documents. The lawsuit named the insurance companies from both the time of the accident and the time of filing, as well as the UAE national driver, as defendants.

The court, recognizing the severity of Rahmathbi’s injuries, ordered the insurance company active at the time of the accident to pay the AED 1 million in compensation. Subsequent appeals filed by the defendants in the appeals court and the Supreme Court were dismissed, ensuring that the judgment in Rahmathbi's favor was upheld.