Hotel accident: Dh200,000 payout for British woman

Dubai: The Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance has awarded Dh200,000 to a Dubai-based Briton who was severely injured in a hotel accident in the capital in 2008.

Thirty-three-year-old Natalie Jane Creane, who has gone into coma several times since, suffers from “post-traumatic intractable refractory epilepsy and brain injuries”. She was staying with her husband at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi when a wooden panel in their room fell on her head.

Natalie’s legal team Hani Habbas of CompensateME and Pamela Haidat of NM Law told XPRESS on Wednesday: “Her family is delighted with the judgment that is in her favour. However, it will be subject to appeal in the Abu Dhabi (appeals) court. This is due to the level of the award issued. We are still waiting for the full written judgment but at this point, we feel that the award does not properly compensate Natalie for her severe injuries.”

“The judgment states that the court found all three defendants - Emirates Palace, Kempinski and ADNIC - to be liable for compensatory damages,” the legal team added.

They said: “In terms of her health, she has been recently told that she has to undergo a major surgery. She has been in and out of hospital and is very weak. Currently, her husband is also hospitalised due to stress-related issues.”

In July 2012, when Natalie went into a drug-induced coma for the fifth time, her husband Trevor had told XPRESS: “Natalie needs urgent specialist neurological help. She will likely need full-time care for the rest of her life as well as extensive medical support, but we really just want to see her return to a normal, healthy life. We are seeking restitution to enable us to access the best medical care.”

Her father Derek Smith had said: “We have full faith in the Sharia law.”

Meanwhile, the Facebook page “Justice for Natalie”, which has been garnering public support for her, had received 20,638 ‘likes’ as of Wednesday afternoon, up from 2,700 last July.

According to the page, Natalie’s seizures cause her to collapse suddenly and she has suffered many injuries and broken bones during the seizures. “Natalie has been in coma, on the ventilators, had blood clots in her lung and leg, extreme blood toxicity, paralysis, temporary loss of sight, massive hair loss, severe debilitating headaches, temporary loss of speech, confusion, insomnia, constant infections due to suppressed immunity and over 20 stays in intensive care. Natalie has lost her career, her independence and has had over 45 admissions to hospitals …”