Motor accident tribunal awards Rs 42L to kin of ICF employee

Chennai

The petitions were filed under sections 140 and 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rule 3 of MACT, claiming compensation of Rs 16 lakh (restricted to Rs 7 lakh), and over Rs 1 crore (restricted to Rs 75 lakh) respectively for the injuries that Bharathi sustained and Ramesh’s death in the accident. According to the petition, Ramesh (48) who was working as a helper at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and his wife Bharathi were travelling on CTH Road on August 13, 2016. When they reached near Tirunindravur, a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction, driven in a rash and negligent manner, hit the couple. They sustained multiple injuries in the accident, and Ramesh died on the way to the hospital.

The respondent remained exparte. With available records, the tribunal held that the accident had occurred because the other two-wheeler was driven rashly. The tribunal said that the owner of the vehicle was liable to pay compensation, as the bike didn’t have any insurance at the time of the accident.

“The offending vehicle was not insured, hence the respondent being the owner-cum driver is liable to pay the compensation. Though Bharathi didn’t produce any documentary evidence that she sustained disablement due to the injury in the accident, considering the nature of injuries and the treatment given to her, the tribunal is inclined to fix the disability as 10 per cent,” said the judge D Sivakumar.

Bharathi was awarded Rs 96,700 as compensation for her injuries and Rs 41.53 lakh with an interest rate of 7.5 per cent to the kin of Ramesh who died in the accident.