Tribunal grants ₹23L for kin of van driver killed in accident

HAD SOUGHT ₹65L

Tribunal grants ₹23L for kin of van driver killed in accident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:26.12.2020

A motor accidents claims tribunal has directed an insurance firm to pay ₹23 lakh to the family of a victim who was killed after a rashly driven truck hit a mini-van on GST road.

The family of the victim, Vembarasan, moved the tribunal seeking a compensation of ₹65 lakh. According to the petition moved by his wife, Elavarasi, the victim was driving his van along the GST road near Melavalampettai near Kancheepuram when a rashly driven truck coming from the opposite direction ran over the median and hit the van.

Vembarasan sustained grievous injuries and died on the spot. The insurer of the truck contended that the accident happened due to the negligence of the van driver and argued that they cannot be held liable to compensate the victim.

The tribunal, after perusing both sides, noted eyewitness statements which pointed out that the accident happened due to the rash driving by the truck driver and the FIR too backed the witness statements. The postmortem report showed that Vembarasan died due to the injuries sustained in the accident andhencethefamily should be compensated, the tribunal held.

The victim was aged 32 at the time of the accident and his earnings were only through his van.

Considering the age of the victim, future prospects, loss of dependency, loss of love and affecion for the family members and other factors, the tribunal arrived at an amount of ₹23 lakh as compensation.

Out of the total amount, the wife of the victim is entitled for ₹9.2 lakh and hisminor son and daughter of the victim are entitled for ₹6.9 lakh each, the tribunal ruled.