Maharashtra: Thane MACT awards Rs 20.52 lakh compensation to family of deceased businessman killed in car accident

A Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal MACT in has awarded Rs 2052 lakh in compensation to the family of a 74yearold businessman who died in a car accident in Maharashtrarsquos Palghar district reported the PTIThe fatal car crash took place in 2022The victim who was identified as Ganesh Gopal Chaudhari had sustained severe injuries after a collision and later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital on the same day the news agency reportedTribunal holds driver responsibleThe accident occurred on November 22 2022 when Chaudhari was travelling by car from Vikramgad towards Nashik A speeding fourwheeler reportedly lost control on a bend in the ghat section and crashed into his vehicle according to the PTIThe tribunal observed that the driver of the offending vehicle was driving at an excessive speed and failed to properly judge the turn leading to the fatal collisionCompensation and liabilityThane MACT member R V Mohite directed the vehicle owner and the insurer Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd to jointly and severally pay the compensation as per the PTIThe tribunal also ordered that the amount should carry 9 per cent annual interest from the date the petition was filedIncome assessment and distributionThe tribunal calculated the deceasedrsquos annual income at Rs 59 lakh based on his income tax returns before arriving at the total compensation amountOut of the awarded sum Rs 1352 lakh will be paid to his wife Rs 7 lakh will be given to his sonThe tribunal dismissed the insurance companyrsquos argument that the driver did not possess a valid driving licence holding it liable along with the vehicle owner the news agency reportedMACT grants Rs 215 lakh compensation to kin of womanMeanwhile in an another casethe Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded a compensation of Rs 215 lakh to the family of a 45yearold woman run over by a speeding tempo in 2020 reported news agency PTIThe tribunal presided over by K P Shrikhande held the tempo driver solely responsible for the fatal accident directing the vehicle owner and insurer to jointly and severally pay the compensation with a 9 per cent annual interest from December 9 2020 when the claim was filed till realisation reported PTIA copy of the order passed on March 30 was made available on SaturdayThe accident occurred on August 30 2020 on the KalyanBhiwandi road near Kongaon when a speeding tempo hit the victim Meera Kamlesh Singh from behind while she was standing near a road divider reported PTIThe victim succumbed to the grievous injuries sustained in the accidentThe tribunal held that the vehicle was being driven in a rash and negligent mannerQuoting a Supreme Court ruling the tribunal noted It is settled in law that once a chargesheet has been filed and the driver has been held negligent no further evidence is required to establish negligenceThe tribunal dismissed the insurers contention regarding breach of policy conditionsTreating the deceased as a homemaker the tribunal fixed a notional income of Rs 7000 per month and calculated total compensation at Rs 215 lakhwith PTI inputs