Rash driving: Kin of 28-yr-old man get Rs 17.4 L compensation

The family members of a 28-year- old man, who died after being hit by a rashly driven truck, have been awarded compensation of over Rs 17.40 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here.
The tribunal directed Oriental Insurance Co Ltd, insurer of the offending truck, to pay the money to the family members of Delhi resident Shiv Shankar Patel who died in 2012.
"The amount of compensation, no doubt, cannot bring back the dead but it certainly helps the legal representatives and dependents to live life with dignity and comfort as they were living during the lifetime of the deceased.

"In view of my findings on the issues, I award a sum of Rs 17,40,300 to the petitioners as compensation... I am of the view that respondent number 3 (insurance firm) is liable to pay compensation to the petitioners for the above awarded amount," the tribunal said.
According to the petition, on December 27, 2012, when Patel was going out for some work on his motorcycle, the offending truck, being driven in rash and negligent manner, hit him from behind with a great force.
Due to the impact, Patel and the pillion rider fell down on the road and they sustained injuries. Both were taken to a hospital, where Patel died on December 28, 2012, during treatment.

The family members had told the tribunal that at the time of the incident, Patel was 28 years old and was working with a private firm and earned Rs 15,000 per month as salary.
The petitioners had claimed Rs 30 lakh as compensation.
While the driver of the truck did not file any written statement in his defence, its owner denied the allegations made in the petition. The insurance firm said that the truck was insured with it at the time of accident.