Tribunal awards Rs 1.18-cr relief to kin of road accident victim

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has directed the driver and the owner of a truck as well as the insurance company to pay a compensation of Rs. 1.18 crore to a woman whose husband died in an accident three years ago.

The tribunal directed the opposing parties to pay the amount with an interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum.

The victim, Sunil Kumar, was headed to Aligarh from Chandigarh in a car. When he reached near a PVR cinema in Panipat, a truck suddenly applied brakes without any indication. As a result, the car rammed into the vehicle and Kumar suffered severe injuries and later died. He is survived by his wife, Shitala, and a minor daughter.

In the claim petition filed through advocate Thakur Kartar Singh under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, Shitala, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, had said her husband was a manager in a private company and the sole breadwinner of the family.

The driver and owner of the truck opposed the claim petition. However, after hearing the arguments, the Tribunal directed the respondents to pay a total compensation of Rs 1,18,33,150 at an interest rate of nine per cent per annum.