The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded a compensation of more than Rs 87 lakh to the family of a woman who died and two others who suffered serious injuries in a devastating truck accident that occurred in 2017 on the Nashik-Mumbai Highway.
According to the order dated May 8, a copy of which was made available on Saturday, MACT Chairman S.B. Agrawal presided over the matter. The claims were filed against the truck owner, Munna Maghai Yadhav, and United India Insurance Co. Ltd. Advocate Y.S. Duduskar appeared on behalf of the petitioners, while Advocate K.V. Poojari represented the insurance company. The truck owner remained ex-parte in all three cases.
The incident took place on April 22, 2017, when a group of Sadhwis and their attendants were on a religious pilgrimage from Nashik to Mumbai. Some members of the group were walking and others were in wheelchairs when the truck veered into them, causing fatal and life-altering injuries.
The tribunal granted Rs 38.58 lakh as compensation to 66-year-old Ratnashilaji Hirachand Chopda Jain, who was wheelchair-bound and sustained severe head, chest, and abdominal injuries that have left her bedridden since the accident.
A compensation of Rs 24.32 lakh was awarded to the family of Ratni alias Rupni Hansda, who succumbed to severe head injuries while undergoing treatment. Another victim, 64-year-old Sunita alias Samonidevi Neyaka Manjhi, who suffered fractures and a head injury, was granted Rs 24.37 lakh.
The insurance company had raised a defence that the vehicle driver allegedly lacked a valid licence and permit, claiming a breach of the policy’s terms. However, the tribunal found no evidence to support this contention and held both the vehicle owner and the insurer jointly liable to pay the compensation.
