Hit-and-run case that left Kannur girl in coma: Court orders insurance company to pay Rs 1.15 Cr compensation for family

Kozhikode: A court in Vadakara has ordered an insurance company to pay Rs 1.15 crore to nine-year-old Drishana, who has remained in a coma for nearly a year after a road accident that also killed her grandmother. The ruling brings long-awaited relief to her struggling family.

Court orders compensation for child in coma

The Vadakara Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) directed the insurer to release Rs 1.15 crore to Drishana’s parents, who have been battling mounting medical bills for her long-term care at a private hospital in Kottayam. The court confirmed that the amount must be paid by the insurance company.

Accident while crossing road near bus stop

The crash took place on February 17, 2024, at Chorode on the National Highway in Vadakara. After getting off a bus around 10 p.m., Drishana and her grandmother Baby, 68, attempted to cross the road near the Thalassery Pannyannur panchayat office.

A speeding car struck them, killing Baby on the spot. Drishana, a Class V student at Mundayad L.P. School, suffered severe head injuries and slipped into a coma.

Hit-and-run car traced after 10 months

The car involved in the hit-and-run did not stop. Crime Branch officers traced the vehicle in December—ten months after the crash—after inspecting thousands of cars and several hundred workshops.

Although a chargesheet was filed seven months ago, the family had received no insurance payout.

The compensation is expected to offer some relief as the child remains unconscious.