Man disabled in road accident gets over Rs 15 L compensation

A vegetable vendor, who suffered 85 per cent physical disability in his left leg after being hit by a rashly driven bus in 2008, has been awarded compensation of over Rs 15 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal here.
The tribunal directed the ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company, with which the offending bus was insured, to pay Rs 15,16,747 to 55-year-old Sukhram, who was selling vegetables on his cart near Badarpur here when the bus hit him on June 25, 2008.
"The driver of the offending bus has failed to appear in the tribunal to explain the charges, hence, he was responsible for causing the accident," MACT Presiding Officer Nikhil Chopra said.

The tribunal, while awarding the compensation, relied on the medical certificate of Sukhram according to which his left leg was amputated during treatment at AIIMS.
While assessing the amount of compensation, the tribunal also noted that Sukhram could not purchase prosthetics for his leg as he had no money for it and awarded him Rs three lakh for the same, as a part of the total amount awarded.
"Having regard to his injury, humane tendency and legitimate expectation to live with dignity, his right to compensation on account of prosthetics cannot be denied," it said.

In his petition, Sukhram said when the bus, negligently driven by its driver, hit him, he fell down and suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre where he underwent treatment for eight months. Later, his left leg was removed.

Sukhram, who was earning Rs 6,000 per month by selling vegetables, told the tribunal that he was totally dependent on someone, cannot even walk properly and there was total loss of employment.
While the driver did not appear before the tribunal, the insurance company, in the written statement, denied the liability stating that the vehicle was being driven without permit from a competent authority.
The tribunal, however, directed the firm to pay the amount to the victim.