The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has directed the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay ₹33.77 lakh as compensation to the family of a carpenter who died after a state transport bus collided with his motorcycle in 2019.
MACT member R.V. Mohite, in an order dated August 26 (received on Tuesday), held that MSRTC failed to establish any contributory negligence on the part of the deceased, Kanayyalal Shamlal Pal.
Pal, 38, was riding his motorcycle on the left side of the Nashik-Mumbai highway near Pimplas Phata on November 3, 2019, when an MSRTC bus allegedly rammed into him from behind at high speed. He died on the spot, according to his family’s claim petition.
The tribunal examined FIRs, postmortem reports, the spot panchanama, and witness testimonies. It found contradictions in the bus driver’s version and noted the absence of brake marks at the accident site.
“There is no evidence on record to show that the driver of the offending ST bus tried to avoid the accident. Spot panchanama is not corroborating the version of the driver of the ST bus,” the tribunal observed.
MSRTC had argued that Pal was riding rashly and had attempted to overtake the bus from the left, leading to the collision. However, the tribunal found no supporting evidence for this claim and categorically stated that there was no contributory negligence on the part of the motorcycle rider.
While the claimants, including Pal’s wife, children, and parents, sought ₹50 lakh in compensation, the tribunal assessed the amount at ₹33.77 lakh. It based its calculation on a notional monthly income of ₹16,000 for the deceased, as no documentary proof of higher earnings was available.
The tribunal further ordered that the compensation will carry an interest of 9% per annum from the date of filing the petition until the amount is deposited. MSRTC has been directed to deposit the sum within one month.
Specific allocations were made for each claimant. The tribunal also directed that parts of the awarded sum be invested in fixed deposits to secure the family’s long-term financial needs.
