Supreme Court Raises Odisha Crash Survivor’s Compensation to ₹83 Lakh

The Story in Brief

The Supreme Court increased compensation for Shreejita Pattnaik from ₹45.40 lakh to ₹83.38 lakh, with 9% annual interest. She was six months old when a tanker collided head-on with her vehicle in Odisha on 16 June 2015. The crash caused spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic myelopathy and paraplegia.

The court treated her functional disability as 100%, despite medical evidence assessing it at 90%. It raised amounts for attendant care, pain, loss of amenities and reduced marriage prospects. The bench restored an 18 multiplier for children with catastrophic injuries and said future earnings should be calculated using minimum skilled wages.

The Indian Opinion

The ruling reflects the long-term costs of childhood injuries and lifelong dependence. However, compensation cannot remove uncertainty about future treatment, inflation or arranging attendant support. The available account gives limited detail about the defence evidence and how the money will be used. Strong descriptions of the injury should therefore be considered alongside the court’s stated reasoning, rather than treated as a complete picture.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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