MTC told to pay ₹38.5 lakh to accident victim’s family

MTC told to pay ₹38.5 lakh to accident victim’s family

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.03.2021 

A city accident claims tribunal has directed Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to compensate ₹38.5 lakh to the family of a motorist who was killed after a rashly driven government bus knocked the twowheeler down near Pulianthope four years ago.

D Sumithra of Medavakkam moved the tribunal seeking a compensation of ₹75 lakh for the death of her husband, Deva Manikandan. According to the petition, Deva Manikandan was riding along the junction of 5th street and VOC Nagar, Dr Ambedkar College Road when the MTC bus hit the two-wheeler from behind.

Deva Manikandan suffered multiple fatal injuries and died on the spot. The accident happened in August 2016.

The MTC bus was travelling from Parrys Corner to Periyar Nagar. The transport corporation contended that the bus driver had stopped the bus at Aduthotti bus stop for passengers to alight and had started the vehicle when the motorist overtook the bus from left and lost balance while riding over a heap of blue metal.

In the melee, the motorist hit the bumper of the MTC bus and sustained fatal injuries, the counsel for the transport corporation stated and argued that MTC cannot be held liable to pay the compensation.

The tribunal, after perusing the submissions from both sides, noted that the evidence submitted proves that the accident happened due to the rash driving of the MTC driver and that the transport corporation has not submitted enough evidence to substantiate their claims about negligence by the motorist.

The deceased was 38 years old at the time of the accident and in the engineering business. Considering the age of the deceased and the loss of income to the family, the tribunal arrived at an amount of ₹38.5 lakh as compensation to the family and directed MTC to settle the amount within one month.

Of the total amount, the wife of the deceased, Sumithra, is entitled for ₹18.5 lakh, while the three children of the deceased are entitled for an amount of ₹5.33 lakh each and the parents of the deceased are entitled for ₹2 lakh each.

The tribunal, after perusing the submissions from both sides, noted that the evidence submitted proves that the accident happened due to the rash driving of the MTC driver