Tribunal awards Rs 72 lakh payout to kin of man killed in road accident in 2021

Thane, Aug 22 (PTI) The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded a compensation of Rs 72.04 lakh to the family of a 33-year-old man who died in a road accident four years ago.

In his order of August 20, Member R V Mohite asked the opponents to pay the compensation with 9 per cent interest from the date of the petition.

Sunil Laxman Patil, who worked as a senior analyst in a private firm, died in April 2021 after the two-wheeler he was riding was hit by a speeding tanker on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. He earned a monthly salary of Rs 29,822, which the MACT considered to calculate the compensation.

His wife, two children and parents filed the claim petition. They were represented by advocate S M Pawar.

Advocate A K Tiwari represented the owner of the tanker and the insurer.

The tribunal rejected the defence claim of contributory negligence on the part of the deceased, stating, “The driver of the offending Tanker was the person who had the last opportunity to avoid the accident.” The tribunal also said that the tanker owner committed a breach of the insurance policy. Though the driver possessed a certificate for a three-day training course in handling hazardous substances, he did not have the necessary endorsement on his driving licence, it said.

The tribunal directed the insurance company to initially pay the compensation of Rs 72.04 lakh to the victim’s family and then recover it from the tanker owner. PTI COR NR