The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has ordered the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay ₹55 lakh in compensation to a woman who suffered severe injuries in a 2021 bus crash that resulted in the amputation of her right hand and loss of employment.
Delivering the order on Friday, MACT member R. V. Mohite held MSRTC solely liable for the accident, rejecting the corporation’s claim that the crash occurred due to a mechanical failure.
The incident took place on August 24, 2021, when the claimant, Kanchan Sham Kute, then 36, was travelling in a state transport bus from Khed to Shivajinagar on the Nashik–Pune Highway. The bus driver lost control and rammed into an electric pole, causing the vehicle to overturn.
Kute sustained multiple injuries, including a severe crush injury to her right arm below the elbow, which had to be amputated. Medical evidence produced before the tribunal confirmed 70 per cent permanent disability in relation to her right upper limb. She also presented a termination letter from her employer, showing she lost her job as a result of the disability.
Rejecting MSRTC’s defence that the accident was due to a brake failure, the tribunal observed that the driver was negligent and failed to exercise proper control over the bus.
“The speed of the bus was of such a nature that the driver could not control it when its brakes failed,” the tribunal noted.
It further recorded that though the driver signalled the conductor about the brake failure, “there is no evidence that he gave instructions for safety to the passengers in the bus.”
Taking into account the permanent disability, loss of earning capacity, medical expenses, and emotional distress, the tribunal directed MSRTC to pay ₹55 lakh as compensation, along with 9 per cent annual interest from the date of filing the petition until realisation.
The award underscores the tribunal’s firm stance on holding public transport agencies accountable for negligent driving leading to serious injuries and loss of livelihood.
