In a significant ruling, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) of Thane, Maharashtra, has awarded Rs 7.4 lakh as compensation to Sushma Ashok Bagal, a woman injured in a road mishap on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway in 2019. The decision, delivered by MACT member S.N. Shah, came to light following the release of the order copy this Friday.
The incident took place on October 31, 2019, while Bagal was traveling with her family from Pune to Thane. According to her claim filed at the MACT, their car was involved in a collision caused by a Shivneri bus, operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which led to a three-car pile-up. Bagal sustained injuries in this unfortunate event.
The tribunal, in its judgment, attributed the cause of the accident to the rash and negligent driving of the bus driver, dismissing MSRTC’s argument that the accident was a result of negligence on the part of multiple drivers, including the one driving Bagal’s car and another unidentified vehicle reportedly making a U-turn at the time.
The compensation of Rs 7.4 lakh covers loss of future income and medical expenses. Bagal, who was 42 at the time of the accident and had a notional monthly income of Rs 8,000, will also receive an interest of 8% per annum on the compensation amount from October 2020, the date when the compensation petition was filed.
