Although the insurance company contested its liability by arguing that the offending vehicle lacked a valid permit at the time of the crash, the tribunal held that the insurer must satisfy the award first and then recover the amount from the vehicle owner.
Mumbai:The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded compensation of Rs 95.27 lakh and Rs 35.04 lakh to the kin of two persons killed in a road accident in 2022.
On July 6 that year, a car turned turtle in Daund taluka in Pune district while travelling from Khutbav to Pimpalgaon, resulting in the deaths of Babasaheb Gautam Sathe and Rohit Devidas Shinde, both occupants of the vehicle.
The driver of the car had lost control while trying to avoid an accident. Sathe and Shinde were admitted to Pune civil hospital, where they died during treatment.
The MACT order of Member RV Mohite said the accident took place due to the rashness and negligence of the car’s driver. There is nothing on record to show any contributory act on the part of deceased, the order added.
Although the insurance company contested its liability by arguing that the offending vehicle lacked a valid permit at the time of the crash, the tribunal held that the insurer must satisfy the award first and then recover the amount from the vehicle owner.
The MACT awarded Rs. 95,27,000 to the dependents of Sathe, comprising his wife, two children, and mother. It granted Rs. 35,04,200 to the legal heirs and dependents of Shinde.
Shinde, 23 at the time of the accident, was a driver at a transport firm, with a monthly salary of Rs 25,000. Sathe (37) was the owner of a transport firm with an earning of Rs 4 lakh per month.