The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra’s Thane district has awarded a compensation of ₹26.25 lakh to the husband and minor son of a woman who lost her life in a road accident in 2021.
Delivering the order on Friday, Judge R.V. Mohite directed Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd and the owner of the offending car to jointly and severally pay the compensation, along with 9% annual interest from the date of filing of the petition, within one month.
The victim, Sadaf Abdul Gafoor Mulla, was travelling with her husband and son on a motorcycle along the Kalyan-Badlapur Road on the night of September 29, 2021, when a rashly driven car rammed into their vehicle. She suffered severe head injuries and succumbed to them five days later while undergoing treatment.
Judge Mohite held that the car was being driven “in a rash and negligent manner” and noted that the driver fled the scene after the accident.
The insurance company contested its liability, claiming that the driver had consumed alcohol at the time of the accident and therefore violated policy conditions. However, the tribunal dismissed this argument, observing that the chemical analyser’s report detected only 0.055% alcohol in the driver’s blood, insufficient to establish drunk driving under the Motor Vehicles Act.
“The driver of the offending vehicle was holding a valid and effective licence on the date of the accident. There is no breach of the terms and conditions of the insurance policy,” the tribunal ruled.
Of the total award:
- ₹10 lakh has been granted to the victim’s husband.
- ₹16.25 lakh has been allotted to the minor son, with directions to deposit the amount in a fixed deposit until he attains majority.
The order underscores the tribunal’s view that negligence, rather than intoxication, was the cause of the accident and ensures financial relief for the bereaved family.
