Court orders BIMCH to pay Rs. 187 m to injured Samanmali

The Colombo District Court yesterday ordered the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) to pay a compensation of Rs. 187 million to Dr. Samitha Samanmali who became paralysed after an iron bar collapsed on her during an exhibition at the BMICH in 2008.
In December 2010 the victim appeared in the Colombo District Court claiming Rs. 50 million as compensation from the BMICH while stating that due to the injury she was not able to perform her duties as a medical doctor or ever be able to lead a normal married life while having the rest of her life restricted to a wheelchair.
Samanmali was a medical student at the time of this tragedy and sustained severe injuries after the accident.
The accident occurred when an iron rod fell on her head damaging her spine and skull when she was at the BMICH to set up exhibition stalls for MEDEX.
It is reported that the iron rod was part of the construction equipment of an exhibition held previously at the BMICH which had not been removed.