The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra’s Thane has awarded ₹37.55 lakh as compensation to the family of a 25-year-old man who died in a road accident in 2022 after a speeding truck hit his motorcycle in Pune district.
MACT member R V Mohite directed Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. to first pay the compensation to the claimants and later recover the amount from the truck owner because the vehicle was operating without a valid permit at the time of the accident. A copy of the tribunal’s order dated March 2 became available on Saturday.
Accident That Claimed Young Man’s Life
According to the claim petition, the deceased, Mohit Raju Kasyap, was riding his motorcycle on the Talegaon–Ambethan road in Pune district on the night of October 18, 2022. During the journey, a speeding truck approached from behind and crashed into the two-wheeler.
The impact proved fatal. Kasyap died at the scene of the accident.
His family later approached the tribunal seeking compensation, stating that the 25-year-old worked as a cook and earned about ₹21,000 per month.
Tribunal Holds Truck Driver Responsible
The insurance company contested the claim before the tribunal. It argued that the deceased had been negligent and also pointed out that the truck involved in the accident did not have a valid permit.
After examining the evidence, the tribunal concluded that the truck driver alone was responsible for the crash.
In its order, the tribunal observed that the truck struck the motorcycle from behind and ran over the victim’s head.
“The truck came from behind and rammed into the motorcycle. The front right wheel ran over the head of the deceased. This shows the rashness and negligence of the truck driver,” the tribunal noted.
Compensation and Pay-and-Recover Direction
The tribunal awarded compensation of ₹37.55 lakh to the victim’s family. It also directed that the amount be paid with interest at the rate of 9 percent per annum from the date of filing the claim petition.
Since the truck did not possess a valid permit at the time of the accident, the tribunal invoked the “pay and recover” principle. Under this direction, the insurer must first pay the compensation to the claimants and may subsequently recover the amount from the truck owner for the breach of insurance conditions.
