Rs 61-lakh relief for victim of road mishap

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 61 lakh to a 25-year-old girl, who suffered severe injuries in a road mishap.

In a claim petition, Priya Rani, a resident of Krishna Enclave, Dhakoli, Mohali, submitted that she was working as telesales executive in Zirakpur and earning nearly Rs 25,000 per month as salary and Rs 15,000 per month from tuitions.

On June 30, 2018, she was going from Dhakoli towards Chandigarh railway station on her scooter. Around 9.30 pm, after crossing the railway bridge, she was proceeding towards the light point and one car was ahead of her.

When both stopped at the light point, a truck (bearing registration No. HR 38 Q0440) driven by Ram Sewak at high speed and in a rash and negligent manner came from behind and hit her scooter. As a result, she fell down on the road and suffered multiple injuries on vital organs of her body.

The truck driver then hit the car, which was ahead of the scooter, and further hit an electricity pole after jumping divider, which proved that the vehicle was speeding. 

An FIR was registered at the Mauli Jagran police station on July 1, 2018, under Sections 279 and 337, IPC.

The victim suffered fracture on her right arm, right leg, and right knee joint. Because of the injury, her right arm had to be amputated from shoulder and her right leg also got badly fractured.

In the court, the respondents claimed that it was the negligence of Priya Rani, which led to the accident, as she was riding the scooter with two brothers, Rakesh Hans and Sunil Kumar, and the accident took place because of her imbalance.

After hearing the arguments, the court directed truck driver Ram Sewak, Flying Green Carrier Private Limited, Faridabad, owner of the truck, and Oriental Insurance Company Limited, insurer of the vehicle, to jointly pay compensation of Rs 61.32 lakh to the injured. 

“The victim will also be entitled to interest on the amount of compensation at the rate of 7.5 per cent per annum from the date of application till realisation,” the court further stated.

Counsels for the applicant, Kartar Singh and Vishal Singh, stated that the victim was not satisfied with the relief amount and they would file an appeal in the High Court for an increase in the compensation amount. 

They said the victim had suffered 90 per cent disability due to negligence of the truck driver and for her routine work, she needs a helper.