Maha: MACT awards over Rs 87 lakh compensation to kin of man killed in bike accident

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra's Thane has awarded a compensation of over Rs 87 lakh to the family of a 36-year-old businessman who was killed in a road accident in 2016.

In an order issued on September 14, copy of which was made available on Thursday, additional sessions judge and MACT member M M Walimohammed directed the owner of the offending truck and the insurance company to jointly and severally pay the compensation to the deceased man's family along with an interest of 7 per cent per annum from the date the claim was filed.

If the opponents failed to pay the compensation within two months, the interest amount will be hiked to 8 per cent per annum, the order stated.

The claimants, including the deceased Jivraj Singh' wife, three children and parents, hail from Churu in Rajasthan.

The truck owner did not appear before the tribunal and the case was decided ex-parte against him, while the insurance company was represented and contested the claim on various grounds.

Appearing for the claimants, advocate V K Singh informed the tribunal that the deceased had been in the cloth packaging business and also doubled up as a broker, earning an annual income of around Rs 6.17 lakh. On February 4, 2016, the man was riding a motorcycle in Rajnoli village, when a truck rammed into his two-wheeler and killed him, Singh said. In his order the judge noted that the registration of the crime at Kongaon police station against the truck driver proved the involvement of the offending vehicle and negligent driving on the part of driver.

The MACT ordered that a compensation of Rs 87.29 lakh be awarded to the victim's kin, including Rs 40,000 towards loss of consortium and Rs 15,000 each towards loss of estate and funeral expenses.

The judge also ordered that upon realisation of the amount, Rs 6 lakh each must be invested in fixed deposits in the name of his children, till they attain majority, and Rs 9 lakh each be paid to the parents of the deceased, while Rs 5 lakhs be kept in a fixed deposit his widow's name for three years.