The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded ₹8 lakh as compensation to a woman who sustained grievous injuries in a road accident nearly two decades ago. The order, issued by MACT Chairman S.B. Agrawal on May 9, pertains to a case dating back to February 2006.
The petitioner, Deepa Ramkrishnan, was a student at the time of the accident and was riding pillion on a motorcycle when it collided with a tempo in Navi Mumbai on February 25, 2006. Represented by advocate Baldev B. Rajput, she informed the tribunal that the collision left her with serious injuries, including an open fracture to her right hand and wrist. The injuries led to permanent partial disability and required multiple surgeries and hospitalisations.
While the police had registered an offence against the motorcycle rider, the tribunal treated the incident as one of composite negligence. Citing the petitioner’s account that the tempo driver had suddenly applied the brakes, causing the motorcycle to crash into it, Chairman Agrawal observed that both the motorcycle rider and the tempo driver shared responsibility.
“In such circumstances, the tempo owner and the insurance company would be liable to compensate the petitioner,” the tribunal held.
The ₹8 lakh compensation includes:
- ₹5.5 lakh for medical expenses based on hospital records,
- ₹1 lakh for pain and suffering, and
- ₹1 lakh for loss of amenities in life.
The tribunal directed the tempo owner and the insurance company to pay the amount jointly and severally, with interest at 7.5% per annum from the date of filing the petition.
The ruling brings closure to a prolonged legal battle that spanned nearly 19 years.
