Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Tribunal directs MTC to pay ₹13L to kin of man killed in accident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   17.04.2018

Chennai: The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal directed the general manager of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of a corporation sanitary worker who was killed in an accident involving an MTC bus near Vandalur Zoo, eight years ago.

V Settu, 47, was knocked down by the bus when crossing the road near Vandalur Zoo around 7pm on July 10, 2009, according to the petition.

The petitioner claimed that bus was moving from Guduvanchery towards Vadapalani and was driven in a rash and negligent manner leading to the accident. The family sought a compensation of ₹15 lakh from the MTC.

MTC, however, denied the allegations and said that its driver was very cautious and was proceeding slowly as the road was occupied by a lot of light and heavy vehicles at the time.

“At the Vandalur signal, after passengers had alighted and boarded, the driver started the bus in a careful manner. Suddenly, he noticed a man who was walking on the platform in a zigzag manner. The pedestrian ignored the sound of the horn and while the bus was moving slowly, he suddenly crossed the road,” MTC stated in its counter petition.

It further suggested that Settu may have been drunk emphasising that the accident occurred only due to the gross negligence on the part of the pedestrian.

K Ramanathan, additional district judge, Chengelpet perused the documents available on both sides and ruled in favour of the petitioners.

“The MTC has not proved that the driver was careful and cautious at the time of the accident and has also not proved that the deceased contributed certain factors for the cause of the accident,” the judge observed. Further, the Otteri police had also registered a case against the driver citing rash and negligent driving.

“There is no oral or documented evidence to prove that the deceased was under the influence of alcohol as claimed by the MTC,” the order stated.

The judge directed the MTC to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of V Settu within two months of the order.

No comments:

Post a Comment

NEWS TODAY 23 AND 24.12.2024