MACT awards over Rs 75 L to road accident victims

A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded over Rs 75 lakh as compensation to the victims of a road accident which resulted in the death of a woman and injured six others.

MACT presiding officer Pawan Kumar Jain asked New India Assurance Company Limited, insurer of the offending vehicle, to pay a total of Rs 75,96,482, including the interest to the victims and the next of kin of the deceased woman.

The tribunal clubbed together seven pleas on behalf of the victims and awarded varying compensation amounts to the affected persons based on the injuries suffered by them.

"Since the offending vehicle was insured with respondent no. 2 (The New India Assurance Company Ltd.) it is directed to deposit the award amount of Rs 18,67,000, Rs 5,48,000, Rs 40,41,000, Rs 3,29,000, Rs 77,000, Rs 46,000 and Rs 92,000 with interest @ 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing of claim petitions i.e. 30.10.2017 till realisation of the amount, within 30 days," the tribunal said.

It also said that the owner of the bus, Yog Dutt Sharma, "shall be jointly and severally liable" to pay compensation, along with the insurance company, to the petitioners.

The tribunal awarded Rs 20,26,091, including interest to Dinesh Kumar Verma and Manish Verma, the husband and son of Delhi resident Renu Verma, who was killed in the accident on June 11 last year while travelling to Khatushyam, Rajasthan after sustaining fatal injuries.

Manish, who was also injured in the accident leading to amputation of his right leg below the knee, was awarded Rs 43,85,342 (with interest) towards cost of an artificial limb implantation and his father, Dinesh, was granted a compensation of Rs 5,94,696 for the injuries he suffered.

The court also awarded the other petitioners -- Manju Rani, Yogesh Sharma and minors Nevaidh Sharma and Nayasa Sharma -- amounts ranging between Rs 46,000 and Rs 3.29 lakh based on the injuries suffered by them in the accident.

The victims were travelling in a bus to Rajasthan, when it collided with a truck, injuring all the petitioners. Renu Verma died by the time she was taken to the hospital.

The complainant alleged that the bus was being driven at fast speed.

The tribunal noted that though the accident in question had not taken place within its jurisdiction, yet the claims have been filed before it as all the petitioners and the respondent (bus owner) are residing in Delhi and the insurance company is also based in the national capital.