In a significant ruling, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Nagpur has ordered Oriental Insurance Company Limited to pay Rs 3 lakh to the family of Vijay Dhoble, a cyclist who was fatally injured in a road accident. The insurance company was criticized for its “inappropriate” and “unlawful” demand for a driving licence from Dhoble, who was riding a bicycle at the time of the incident.
On October 1, 2012, Dhoble was severely injured when his bicycle was struck by a motorcycle. Despite immediate medical attention, he succumbed to his injuries. His wife, Pramila Dhoble, who was the nominee in his insurance policy, filed a claim for the policy amount of Rs 3 lakh. However, the claim was initially rejected by Oriental Insurance, citing the absence of Dhoble’s motorcycle driving licence, his post-mortem report, and other documents as the reason.
During the proceedings, Pramila’s counsel highlighted the absurdity of the insurance company’s demand for a driving licence for a bicycle accident. Additionally, the counsel mentioned that the post-mortem report was retained by the police, complicating its submission.
The commission, led by President Sachin Shimpi and Member B B Chaudhari, found the rejection based on the non-submission of a driving licence to be without merit and unlawful. They ordered the insurance company not only to pay the sum insured of Rs 3 lakh but also to apply an interest rate of 9 percent starting from January 30, 2014, the date when the claim documents were received by the company.
