Dignitaries during the launch of ‘The Neuro Justice Trilogy’ at the NIMHANS Convention Center in Bengaluru on Thursday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
In a move to rethink how courts assess disability and compensation in car accident cases, the Neuro Justice Trilogy and Neuro Justice Framework Handbook were released Thursday at the NIMHANS Convention Center.
Authored by functional neurosurgeon Sharan Srinivasan and neurorehabilitation expert Prathiba Sharan, these books argue for a shift from symptom-based injury assessment to a function-based understanding of disability—focusing on how neurological impairment affects a person’s ability to live, work, and participate in society.
Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, who launched the books, said the work reflected a meaningful intersection of law, neuroscience and ethics and highlighted the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches in shaping future judicial systems.
Former Supreme Court judge RV Raveendran, who has delivered several landmark judgments in motor vehicle accident cases, said the trilogy provided judges with a clearer blueprint for dealing with complex neurological disabilities that are often inadequately captured by standard medical certificates.
Relevance outside the courts
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the framework has extrajudicial significance, particularly for public health and rehabilitation. He noted that the integration of medical science with governance is essential to ensure fair outcomes for accident victims and their families.
Karnataka Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, who recently recovered from brain and spinal injuries sustained in a serious road accident, spoke about the lack of awareness about neurorehabilitation services. He emphasized the need for affordable, multidisciplinary rehabilitation centers in every district, noting that many patients and families are still unaware of facilities that could aid recovery.
Dr. Speaking at the event, Srinivasan said the idea for “Neuro Justice” came from years of treating trauma patients who had survived injury but struggled to secure fair compensation because the functional impact of brain injury was poorly understood in the legal landscape.
Neurorehabilitation expert, Dr. Sharan, highlighted the challenge of “invisible disabilities” such as memory loss, behavioral changes and impaired decision-making, which often go uncompensated despite seriously affecting quality of life.
A key feature of the launch was the introduction of the Neuro Justice Framework (NJF) version 1.0, a structured model for assessing functional disability. The framework incorporates global disability classifications and Indian legal provisions to help courts better assess loss of function, potential for rehabilitation and equitable compensation.
Commissioner of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh and several senior neurologists and rehabilitation experts attended the event. Experts in neurology and disability advocacy also shared their views, including Paralympian KY Venkatesh, who spoke about the importance of restoring dignity and participation after injury.
Published in the public interest by the Swasthya Aarogya Foundation Trust, the trilogy seeks to address delays and irregularities in road accident compensation cases. The authors noted that with nearly nine thousand such claims pending nationwide, a feature-based approach could help courts deliver more timely and fair justice.
Published – 25 Dec 2025 18:31 IST
