Dubai court awards Rs 2.38 crore to Indian expat injured in road accident

An Indian woman who sustained life-altering injuries in a road accident in Dubai last year has been awarded Rs 2.38 crore (Dh 1 million) in damages, prompting her to call on the public to stop jaywalking.

The woman identified as Rehmathbi Mamad Sali, a native of Kerala, India, was hit by a car while crossing a road near the Bangladeshi Consulate in Al Wuheida on April 24, 2023. Following the accident, Rehmatbi suffered a brain haemorrhage, spinal fracture, muscle weakness, and partial paralysis in her right arm and leg.

According to Gulf News, the Dubai police and court found that the Emirati driver was at fault. He was negligent and didn’t pay attention to the road. The court imposed a penalty of Rs 71,556 (Dh 3000). The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 23,855 (Dh 1,000) for crossing a non-designated area.

Rehmatbi approached a law firm for legal assistance. 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.

Upon noticing the severity of Rehamatbi’s injuries, the court ordered the insurance company to pay her the compensation of Rs 2.38 crore.

Life after accident

“Alhamdulillah, I am so grateful,” Rehmatbi was quoted as saying by Gulf News. Before the accident, she had taken whatever jobs she could find, including as a housemaid and school bus conductor.

“Now I can’t walk properly, I find it difficult to speak and move properly. I rely on my children, who don’t earn much,” she said.

She said she was under treatment for a month at a hospital in Dubai, with some well-wishers helping her settle the hospital bills.

“My children got me a wheelchair, but I couldn’t even sit on it properly,” she recalled.

Rehmathbi continued treatment at an Ayurvedic centre in Kerala for three months. She still depends on medicines prescribed by her trauma doctor in Kerala.