The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra’s Thane district has awarded Rs 27.9 lakh in compensation to the family of a bus driver who died following a road accident in 2011, reported the PTI.

In the order issued on 18 November, MACT member Rupali V. Mohite directed the owner of the truck involved in the crash, along with Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd., to jointly pay the compensation amount with 9 per cent interest.

The victim, Shankar Jagannath Sable (28), was driving a state transport bus in Pen area in Raigad district, on July 17, 2011 when a truck crashed into the vehicle. He suffered serious injuries and died on August 10, 2011, according to the PTI.

The tribunal held that the accident occurred due to the sole negligence of the truck driver.

The insurer’s argument that the policy was breached because the truck driver allegedly lacked a valid driving licence was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The tribunal also noted that the insurer had not proved that a notice was issued to the truck owner.

The compensation amount includes Rs 18.08 lakh for loss of future income and Rs 9.04 lakh for future prospects, the tribunal stated.

In an another order, earlier this month, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Thane had awarded a compensation of Rs 55 lakh to a woman who sustained severe injuries in a crash involving a state transport bus in 2021, reported the PTI.

Thane MACT member R V Mohite, in an order passed on Friday, held the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) solely liable for the accident, in which the claimant sustained injuries that led to the amputation of her right hand and the loss of her job, reported PTI.

The accident occurred on the afternoon of August 24, 2021, when the claimant, Kanchan Sham Kute (then 36), was travelling in a state transport bus from Khed to Shivajinagar on the Nashik-Pune Highway, and the driver dashed the vehicle into an electric pole, causing it to overturn.

The MSRTC argued that the accident occurred due to brake failure, but the tribunal rejected this contention, citing the driver`s negligence.

“The speed of the bus was of such a nature that the driver could not control it when its brakes failed,” it stated, reported PTI.

The Thane MACT also noted that while the driver signalled the conductor about the brake failure, “there is no evidence that he gave instructions for safety to the passengers in the bus”, as per the PTI.

The claimant suffered multiple injuries, including a crush injury to her right hand below the elbow, which was subsequently amputated.

She produced a disability certificate showing 70 per cent permanent disability in relation to her right arm and a termination letter from her employer, confirming her job loss, the news agency reported.

The tribunal directed the MSRTC to pay Rs 55 lakh as compensation with 9 per cent annual interest from the date of the petition.

(With inputs from PTI)

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