A court has ordered a woman, who was driving an uninsured vehicle, to pay nearly BD7,000 in damages to a man after causing an accident that destroyed his luxury SUV in Muharraq.
It was on a rainy day that the 26-year-old Bahraini woman lost control of her car and hit a kerb and a traffic light, dislodging a cement barrier that collided with the 29-year-old man’s vehicle.
Both vehicles – the man’s luxury SUV and her sedan – were damaged and declared as ‘total losses’.
Since the woman did not have auto insurance, the Bahraini man asked her for monetary compensation, but when she did not pay up, he took to the High Civil Court to demand damages.
Represented by lawyer Zaheda Sayed Ahmed, the man initially demanded BD8,755, including BD7,500 for the car itself and BD500 for emotional damages, BD500 for legal fees and BD225 for valuation fees.
The court decided to award the Bahraini plaintiff BD7,023, valuing the SUV at BD6,688 instead and limiting legal fees to BD100.
The woman was also ordered to pay BD266.500, which would go into the court’s coffers.
“The accident caused by the defendant inflicted emotional and psychological harm on the plaintiff, since her actions harmed him monetarily,” Ms Ahmed said in a 100-page memorandum submitted to judges.
“Because of the accident, the plaintiff felt sadness and anguish and also couldn’t use his vehicle and had to find another way to get around since it was ruled a total loss.”
According to the General Directorate of Traffic’s official report, among the damaged parts of the car were the front bumper, grill, headlights, bonnet, windscreen, roof, chassis and wheels.
There was also a fluid leak under the vehicle and the crash further led the steering wheel’s airbag to be deployed.
The attorney attached a report, created by a court-licensed sworn insurance expert, who evaluated the luxury SUV’s pre-accident market value and whether or not it could be repaired.
The expert tasked two car auctions to evaluate the SUV’s price, and concluded that it was worth BD7,500 before it was wrecked, and BD1,000 after its front part was destroyed.
A garage in Salmaniya estimated that it would take BD10,670 to repair the car, while the official dealership’s service centre quoted him a whopping BD86,322.
“Upon preliminary inspection, the car appears to be in a very bad condition and the damages are both extensive and numerous,” read the report.
“Since the cost to repair it is greater than its market value before the crash, it is economically, technically and mechanically pointless to fix it.
“Compensating the plaintiff BD7,588 is fair, and is enough to amend the harm caused by the crash.”
The BD88 added to the vehicle’s value is the cost of the evaluation of damages by the official distributor, which in its report also marked the luxury SUV as a total loss.
According to attorney Ms Ahmed, the defendant was sent a legal notice to pay up, but did not, which prompted the plaintiff to sue in court.
However, the 26-year-old woman who lives in Jaw claimed that there was no conflict to be solved in the first place, and that she tried to settle the matter amicably, but received no response from the plaintiff.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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