A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Palghar, Maharashtra, has awarded Rs 1.06 crore in compensation to a 31-year-old former hotel management student who was left permanently paralyzed following a high-speed collision on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in 2017.
MACT member A R Rahane ruled that the owner of the trailer involved in the crash and its insurer, New India Assurance Company Limited, are jointly and severally responsible for paying the sum to the victim, Rishabh Vijaykumar Chopra. The tribunal also mandated a 6 percent annual interest on the compensation, calculated from the date of the claim application, and gave the opponents two months to deposit the full amount.
Accident Details And Casualties
The mishap occurred on December 31, 2017, as Chopra was traveling with his parents from Vapi, Gujarat, toward Mumbai in a car driven by his father. Near Haloli village, a speeding trailer crashed into their vehicle with enough force to cause it to flip three to four times into the oncoming traffic lane.
Chopra’s mother died on the spot from her injuries. Chopra sustained severe physical trauma resulting in lower-body paraplegia, a 70 percent permanent physical disability, and being rendered bedridden.
Tribunal Rejects Insurer Defense
Contesting the claim petition, New India Assurance Company Limited argued that the driver of the car shared contributory negligence for the crash. The insurer also challenged the financial figures cited regarding medical costs and Chopra’s loss of future earning potential.
The tribunal rejected the insurer’s contentions, noting that law enforcement authorities had issued a chargesheet naming only the trailer driver for rash and negligent driving. Member Rahane noted that the police chargesheet indicated prima facie evidence of the driver’s sole fault in the crash.
