SC awards ₹83 lakh to girl left paralysed after road accident
The Supreme Court on Monday awarded over ₹83
On Monday, the Supreme Court awarded over ₹83.38 lakh in compensation to a six-month-old girl, Shreejita Pattnaik, who was left permanently paralyzed in a road accident in 2015. The bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and NV Anjaria increased the compensation from the previous ₹45.40 lakh awarded by the Orissa High Court. The court emphasized that catastrophic injuries affect every stage of a child's future life, not just their physical health.
The accident occurred when Pattnaik was travelling in a car that was hit head-on by a tanker, resulting in spinal cord injuries and paraplegia. The Supreme Court held that claims involving children with permanent or near-total disability must be treated differently from those involving adults, as children are especially vulnerable.
The court also increased the compensation for future earning capacity, medical disability, functional disability, and other non-pecuniary losses, taking into account that Pattnaik would require lifelong care and assistance.
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