Dubai court awards Rs 11 cr compensation to Indian accident victim

Dubai, April 6

An Indian man, who was severely injured in a bus crash while travelling from Oman to Dubai over three years ago, has been awarded Dh 5 million (over Rs 11 crore) in compensation.

Muhammad Baig Mirza, then 20, was on his way back to Dubai from Muscat after spending the Eid Al Fitr holidays with relatives when the accident occured in June 2019, the Khaleej Times reported.

Out of 31 passengers, 12 of whom were Indians, 17 people were killed when the bus driver hit an overhead height barrier placed at the entry point of Al Rashidiya Metro Station Parking, leading to complete destruction of the upper-left portion of the bus.

Mirza was admitted to Dubai's Rashid Hospital for over two months, and remained unconscious for 14 days, after which doctors said the chances of Mirza's return to normal life were very low due to the severe brain damage caused by the accident.

He was preparing for his final semester examination in Mechanical Engineering, but was unable to complete his studies due to the accident.

The UAE Supreme Court ordered the insurance company to pay the compensation after reading a medical report, which said that Mirza had suffered 50 per cent permanent brain damage.

"Muhammad Baig Mirza not only lost functions of his body parts but also his chance at a happy life and a bright future. He was an extremely intelligent student and was a member of the university football and volleyball teams," Senior Consultant Easa Anees told Khaleej Times.

"Due to this accident, his family had to suffer a huge mental, social and financial impact. His father lost out on a huge promotion due to a decline in his performance after the mental shock of the accident. This amount will partially help the family recover from this life-altering accident," Anees added.

According to Mirza's lawyers, the UAE Insurance Authority -- a primary compromise court -- had initially awarded him Dh1 million as compensation. The petitioners then approached the Dubai Court of First Instance and got the compensation amount revised to Dh5 million.

Following the accident, the driver, a native of Oman, was sentenced to seven years in prison, and ordered to pay blood money of Dh3.4 million to the families of the victims.

--IANS