Mohali BMW car crash victim gets Rs 2-crore relief

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has directed the insurance company, owner and driver of a BMW car to pay Rs 2,06,38,848 compensation to a person who was severely injured in the three-years-old accident involving the luxury car in Mohali.

Amanpreet Singh, a resident of Mohali, filed an application under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act through his wife and other legal representatives for the grant of compensation.

Madan Singh Dasila, counsel for the victim, said on February 12, 2021, Amanpreet was returning home from his office at Phase VIII, Industrial Area, Mohali. He was being followed by the manager of his company in his own car to collect some paper

from his house.

When Amanpreet reached near the Sector 88/89 crossing, a BMW car, which was coming from Sector 88 side at a high speed, hit his vehicle. His car overturned and he sustained serious injuries on his head, abdomen, ribs, legs and other parts of the body.

After the accident, the BMW car caught fire and the driver fled the spot. An FIR dated February 15, 2021, was lodged with the Sohana police station.

Amanpreet was discharged from a hospital in Sohana on April 26.

Dasila said Amanpreet became 100% disabled mentally due to the head injuries and his family had spent Rs 25 lakh on his treatment. He was the only earning member of the family.

The claimant, who worked in GF Infotech Transcription, Mohali, at a monthly salary was over RS 80, 000, cannot rejoin duty in the future, said the counsel.

Despite notice, the driver and the owner of the BMW car failed to appear before the tribunal. The insurance company opposed the application.

After hearing of the arguments, the tribunal said the claimant had been rendered without work due to disability. In these circumstances, the functional disability of the claimant is treated as 100 per cent. The insurance company, the driver and owner of the BMW car are directed to pay Rs 2,06,38,848 in compensation, along with interest at the rate of 7.5% per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition till the date of realisation to the claimant .

The Chandigarh tribunal had earlier given Rs 2.22 crore compensation to Sukhchain Singh of Patiala in October 2023. He was severely injured in an accident. He worked in an IT company.