Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Karnataka High Court Awards ₹2.82 Crore Over Tree-Branch Injury
G Chandrashekhara was walking on a road in Bengaluru when a large tree branch fell on his neck.
This happened on March 7, 2024.
He suffered very serious injuries and could no longer move his arms and legs normally.
A hospital assessed his disability at 85%, while the court said his practical disability was 100%.
Chandrashekhara asked the court for ₹5 crore.
The Karnataka High Court awarded ₹2.82 crore in compensation.
The civic agency must pay ₹2.77 crore after earlier payments are counted.
The court said the danger was not simply an unavoidable natural event because authorities had a duty to address the tree.
The Karnataka High Court awarded ₹2.82 crore to G Chandrashekhara, who became paraplegic after a tree branch fell on him.
The incident occurred on March 7, 2024, outside Good Shepherd Convent on Bengaluru’s Convent Road.
The court assessed Chandrashekhara’s functional disability at 100%, despite a medical certificate recording 85% disability.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and its Forest Unit were ordered to pay ₹2.77 crore after accounting for ₹5 lakh already paid by the civic body.
The court rejected the argument that the branch fall was an act of God, saying the civic agency had a public duty regarding the tree.
- Who
- G Chandrashekhara, the injured Bengaluru resident; the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and its Forest Unit were directed to pay compensation.
- What
- The Karnataka High Court awarded ₹2.82 crore after Chandrashekhara became paraplegic when a tree branch fell on him.
- When
- The branch fell on March 7, 2024; the High Court order was reported on September 29.
- Where
- On Convent Road in Bengaluru, near Good Shepherd Convent.
- Why
- The court found that the civic agency had a statutory and public duty regarding the tree, despite it being on private premises.
Petitioner and Court
BBMP and School
Responsibility for the tree
Petitioner and Court
Chandrashekhara argued, and the court held, that the civic agency retained a statutory and public duty even though the tree stood inside private premises.
BBMP and School
The school said it had written to BBMP on February 22, 2024, seeking permission to prune the branch.
Whether the fall was unavoidable
Petitioner and Court
The court distinguished an unexpected accident from a known danger that remained unaddressed and rejected the act-of-God defense.
BBMP and School
BBMP argued that the incident was a natural event and that its liability should be limited or excluded.
Extent of disability and compensation
Petitioner and Court
The court accepted that Chandrashekhara’s functional disability was 100% and partly allowed his request for ₹5 crore.
BBMP and School
The final amount was lower than the requested sum, with earlier BBMP and school payments taken into account.
- Compensation awarded
- ₹2.82 crore
- Amount directed after adjustment
- ₹2.77 crore
- Original compensation request
- ₹5 crore
- Incident date
- March 7, 2024
- Medical disability assessment
- 85%
- Functional disability assessed by court
- 100%
- Prior payments
- ₹5 lakh from BBMP and ₹3 lakh from the school