The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 67.80 lakh to the family of a businessman who was killed in a road accident in September 2019. MACT Chairman Abhay J Mantri in a recent order, a copy of which was made available on Monday, directed the offending bus company's owner and the vehicle's insurer to jointly and severally make the payment along with an interest at 7.50 per cent from the date of filing of the claim.
On September 12, 2019, while the victim, Gundu Tukaram Gavade, then aged 43, was travelling to Bengaluru in a bus, its driver lost control over the wheels near Mhasve village on the Pune-Bengaluru highway in Maharashtra's Satara district. The bus then rammed into a truck. Gavade and some other passengers were badly injured. They were rushed to the civil hospital in Satara where Gavade was declared dead, the claimants' advocate Sambaji T Kadam told the tribunal.
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The victim used to operate a business and earned Rs 5,07,447 annually. His Thane-based wife, two daughters and aged mother, who were dependent on him, sought a compensation of Rs 81,92,304.
The transport company owner did not appear before the tribunal and made no submissions, hence the order was passed ex-parte against him. The vehicle's insurer, however, contested the claim. After hearing both the sides, the MACT said the bus company owner and the insurer needed to pay the compensation to the applicants as the latter had proved the case against them.
The tribunal ordered them to pay a compensation of Rs 53,00,946 towards loss of dependency/income, Rs 13,25,237 for loss of future prospects, Rs 1,20,000 towards loss of spousal consortium, parental consortium and filial consortium and Rs 33,000 towards loss of estate and funeral expenses.
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The MACT also said that upon realisation of the amount, Rs 30.8 lakh shall be paid to the businessman's wife, Rs 14 lakh each to the two daughters and Rs 9 lakh to his mother.
(With PTI inputs)
