PUNE: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Pune, has awarded ₹ 85.98 lakh compensation, with 7% annual interest, to the husband and two minor children of a 38-year-old woman who died from injuries sustained after a truck hit the two-wheeler on which she was travelling as a pillion rider.
The tribunal held the truck driver responsible for the accident and rejected the respondents’ contention that the two-wheeler rider had contributed to it. Meena fell onto the road and came under the truck’s front right wheel. The truck owner and insurer disputed the allegations, claiming that the two-wheeler rider had failed to maintain a safe distance and contributed to the accident. The tribunal, however, noted that the respondents failed to examine the truck driver or any independent eyewitness to substantiate their defence. It also considered the FIR, spot panchanama, police papers, charge sheet, post-mortem report and death certificate. A criminal case was registered against the truck driver under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act, and police subsequently filed a charge sheet.
MACT member SR Agrawal delivered the judgment on September 11 on a claim petition filed by Girish Bhawarlal Rathod, 42, and his two children following the death of Meena Girish Rathod. The accident occurred on January 31, 2023, when Meena was travelling from Golf Chowk towards Gunjan Chowk on a two-wheeler driven by Manali Ketan Rathod.
The truck was being driven rashly and negligently and hit the two-wheeler from behind, according to the claim petition.
The family had sought ₹ 2 crore compensation. The tribunal assessed Meena’s monthly income at ₹ 30,000, although the family had claimed ₹ 35,000- ₹ 38,000 from private tuition classes. After adding 40% towards future prospects, deducting one-third towards personal expenses and applying a multiplier of 15, it calculated the loss of dependency at ₹ 50.40 lakh.
