Thane, Jul 4 The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra's Thane district has awarded compensation of Rs 19.2 lakh to a 64-year-old retired police department employee for injuries he sustained in a 2018 road accident.
MACT member R V Mohite on Thursday directed the insurer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd, to pay the compensation at an interest rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of the petition at first instance and then recover it from the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident due to a breach of policy terms.
As per the case details, the incident occurred on the night of May 30, 2018, when the petitioner, Macchindra Sitaram Suryawanshi, a resident of Kalwa, was returning from his daily walk, and a scooter, ridden by a minor boy, came from the wrong direction in a rash and negligent manner and dashed into him, causing severe injuries.
The claimant had to be hospitalised and incurred more than Rs 14.7 lakh in medical expenses.
The insurer contested the claim, arguing that the rider did not hold a valid driving licence. The tribunal, however, noted that the vehicle owner, Rajesh Hari Gaware, and his son had voluntarily pleaded guilty before a local magistrate for traffic offences and paid the fine.
While the claimant sought higher damages, citing permanent disabilities, the tribunal observed that since he was a retired individual drawing a monthly pension of Rs 33,000, he had not "sustained any functional disability" in the accident.
The compensation amount includes Rs 14.7 lakh for hospital bills, Rs 2 lakh for medicines, Rs 1.5 lakh for pain and sufferings. The tribunal ordered Rs 4 lakh to be kept in a fixed deposit for two years.
