Thane MACT awards Rs 34 lakh compensation to two victims of 2019 accident

Thane, Jul 18 (PTI) The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra's Thane district has awarded a collective compensation of Rs 34 lakh to two victims of a 2019 accident involving a state transport bus.

One victim died, while the other sustained serious injuries in the accident in Lonavala, which, the tribunal stated, had occurred due to the bus driver's negligence.

Copies of the orders passed on July 15 were made available on Friday.

Presiding officer R V Mohite passed orders on separate petitions filed under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

The tribunal awarded a compensation of Rs 21.4 lakh to the family of Hemant Sonavale, who was killed in the accident and Rs 12.56 lakh to Atul Desai, who sustained injuries while riding pillion on the former's motorcycle.

Sonavale (28) had died on the spot after an MSRTC bus hit his motorcycle near Valvan Bridge on the old Pune-Mumbai highway on January 31, 2019.

"There is nothing on record to show any contributory negligence on the part of the driver of the motorcycle," the tribunal said.

The tribunal relied on the FIR registered by the Lonavala City Police and the spot panchanama, which established that the bus had taken a sudden right turn without indication and hit the motorcycle from behind.

Both riders were thrown under the rear wheels of the bus.

Rejecting the MSRTC's claim that Sonavale had suddenly applied brakes, judge Mohite observed that the spot panchanama did not corroborate the version of ST bus driver.

"There is no evidence on record to show that the driver of the offending bus gave an indicator before taking turn." Sonavale was driving the motorcycle at a moderate speed, with care and caution and by following all traffic rules, he said. PTI COR ARU