Tribunal asks insurance firm to settle Rs 27 L claim

The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Chennai, ordered Tata AIG Insurance to pay a compensation of Rs 27.4 lakh in an accident claim to the kin of the deceased in a case from June 30, 2015, near Ennore.

According to the petition, KV Meianandan (20), was riding his motorcycle on Ennore Express Road when a lorry collided with his bike. The driver was reportedly driving in a rash and negligent manner.

Meianandan was immediately taken to Stanley Government Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to injuries.

KM Vijayakumar, father of the deceased, filed the petition claiming compensation for a sum of Rs 58 lakh under Section 166 and 142 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rule 3 of MACT.

Countering this, the insurance firm denied the manner of an accident and fatal injuries sustained by the deceased. The firm submitted that the deceased collided his vehicle on the parked lorry, which contributed his negligence to the accident.

Recording the submissions, Judge S Umamaheswari held that the accident had happened due to rash and negligent driving by the driver of the lorry. The court ordered the insurance firm to pay Rs 27,45,000 with an interest of 7.5 per cent per annum from the date of numbering the petition, which was January 25, 2016, till the date of realisation. The father and mother of the deceased were entitled to receive Rs 10 lakh and Rs 10.4 lakh respectively and his two siblings would receive Rs 3.5 lakh each, the bench said.