MSRTC, others asked to pay Rs 3 lakh to accident victim's kin

The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has directed the MSRTC, a truck owner and an insurance company to collectively pay Rs 3 lakh to the family members of a grocery shop owner, who had been severely injured in a road accident in 2006 and died three years later.
The member of the tribunal and Additional Sessions Judge S Y Kulkarni recently asked the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay 70 per cent amount, and the truck owner and insurance company to pay the remaining 30 per cent amount to the victim's kin.
In his application, the claimant Gajanan Vaiti, a resident of Namdeowadi of Panchpakadi area in Thane, had stated that on March 17, 2006 while travelling in the MSRTC bus to Nashik from Thane, the driver of the bus tried to overtake a truck but dashed against it in which he was injured badly. The incident had taken place at village Kanvinde in Shahapur taluka on Mumbai-Agra highway. Vaiti was treated at various hospitals.

He later claimed a sum of Rs 2,50,000 from MSRTC, owner of the truck Baljinder Singh Surgeet Singh, from Indore and the New India Assurance Co Ltd for the accident. However, he died in 2009.
While the MSRTC and the insurance company appeared and contested the claim the owner of the truck did not not turn up and the case was decided ex-parte against him. The claimant stated that the accident happened due to the rash, negligent driving by the bus driver and both the parties were liable to give him compensation.
In his order the judge held that while the MSRTC was 70 per cent liable, the truck owner and insurance company were 30 liable to pay the compensation to the victim.

The order further said that considering the medical bills produced by the claimant, an amount of Rs 2.80 lakh can be allowed as compensation, besides Rs 10,000 each towards special diet and conveyance.
The amount will be paid to the victim's son Shailesh, the court ordered.