A UK court has determined that Dr. Shanthi Chandran, an Indian-origin doctor, is obligated to pay approximately Rs 1.41 crore in damages to a schoolgirl she struck with her luxury car in 2018, resulting in severe head injuries and health complications. The incident occurred in January 2018 when Dr. Shanthi Chandran was driving her BMW i3 Range Extender on Buckingham Road in Bicester, Oxfordshire, en route to work in Buckinghamshire. The collision involved a then-12-year-old victim, now an 18-year-old girl.
The young girl brought the case to court, accusing Dr. Shanthi Chandran, a consultant physician, of negligence that led to severe injuries to her head and neck. The accident took place as Dr. Chandran was returning to her hospital, and the victim, on her way to school, had her head trapped near the car's windscreen, causing the glass to shatter. The girl suffered a serious brain injury and a fractured left collarbone.
After the collision, the girl underwent intubation and ventilation for three days, spending a total of 10 days in the hospital. Court documents disclosed that the girl was "left with cognitive and psychiatric problems" and experienced nightmares and "PTSD-type symptoms for the first year after the accident."
Dr. Chandran initially contended that the accident occurred because the girl was on the road when the lights were green. However, the court held her responsible for the collision, apportioning liability 60/40 in favor of the claimants. Despite reducing the claimed damages amount of 2,25,000 by 40% due to the claimant's contributory negligence in stepping out into the road while the traffic lights were green, the final award stands at approximately Rs 1.41 crore.
