The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane, Maharashtra, has granted a compensation of ₹10.25 lakh to Amee Dharmendra Bhuta, a 45-year-old woman who suffered severe injuries in a bus accident in 2018. The order, dated March 18, was released to the public this Saturday.
The accident occurred on the night of January 1, 2018, when a bus owned by Ameya Travels and insured by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd., collided into the gate of a building on Pedder Road in Mumbai. The bus, driven negligently according to the tribunal’s findings, resulted in multiple fractures and other serious injuries to Ms. Bhuta, who was returning from a New Year celebration with friends.
Advocate Baldev B Rajput, representing the claimant, argued that the driver’s negligence led to the accident, a claim supported by the registration of a criminal case against the driver by the police. At the time of the accident, Ms. Bhuta was self-employed, earning around ₹25,000 per month, and had initially sought compensation totaling ₹26.95 lakh.
The MACT, presided over by member S N Shah, acknowledged that Ms. Bhuta sustained a 35% permanent partial disability due to the accident. The compensation awarded covers various aspects such as future loss of income, medical expenses, special diet and conveyance, as well as compensation for pain and suffering, and loss of amenities and enjoyment of life.
In its directive, the tribunal ordered Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd. to deposit the awarded compensation along with an annual interest rate of 8% from the date of filing the petition, within one month. It also permitted the insurance company to recover the amount paid out from Ameya Travels, the bus owner. Additionally, the tribunal directed that a portion of the compensation be paid directly to Ms. Bhuta, while the remainder should be placed in a fixed deposit for her future security.
