Pathanamthitta native gets Rs. 68 lakh compensation in Ras Al Khaimah car accident

Ras Al Khaimah: The Insurance Authority has ordered the payment of three lakh dirhams (sixty eight lakh fifty two thousand Indian rupees) in compensation to Renee Chandy Jacob, a native of Koriannoor, Pathanamthitta, who was injured in a car accident. The court's decision in favor of Renee comes at the end of a year of legal proceedings.

On June 6, 2023, Renee was crossing the road on Al Faliya Street in Ras Al Khaimah when a vehicle driven by a Comoros citizen hit her. The Ras Al Khaimah Traffic Criminal Court, which found that the accident occurred due to careless driving without properly following traffic rules, fined the driver two thousand dirhams and released him.

Renee, who suffered serious injuries to her leg, spine and head in the accident, was admitted to Ras Al Khaimah Sagar Hospital, but as Renee needed specialist treatment, her relatives contacted Yab Legal Services Management Member Sreedharan Prasad in Ras Al Khaimah, who in turn approached Yab Legal Services CEO Salam Pappinissery.

Understanding their situation, he sent Renee home on an Emirates flight in business class with an assistant for further treatment, and assured her relatives that he would obtain appropriate compensation from the driver who caused the accident and take the necessary legal action.

A case was registered with the Insurance Authority for compensation along with all the necessary documents such as a medical certificate stating the extent of the injury, criminal case judgment, police report, etc., along with a detailed memorandum. The case was registered against the insurance company that insured the Ras Al Khaimah registered vehicle that caused the accident and against the driver of the vehicle.

Renee's lawyer approached the authority with documents such as the accident report, a copy of the criminal case judgment, a certificate that the criminal judgment was final, a medical report, and a power of attorney.

When the case reached the authority, the lawyer appearing for the insurance company alleged that Renee was also a factor in the accident and that there was a lack of care on his part, but the insurance company's arguments could not stand up to the documents and arguments submitted by Renee's lawyer.

The Insurance Authority, after carefully examining the documents submitted by the lawyer and the arguments of both parties, found that the fault lay with the driver of the oncoming vehicle. The Insurance Authority then held that the injured party has a direct right to claim compensation from the insurance company for any damage to the body or property, and that, considering the circumstances, the insurance company should pay Reni three hundred thousand dirhams (sixty eight lakh fifty two thousand Indian rupees) as total compensation for material and moral damages.