Compensation court orders truck owner to pay Rs 6.5 million to family of accident victim | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), a quasi-judicial body that adjudicates claims related to motor vehicle accidents, recently directed a truck owner to ₹65 lakh to the family of a 37-year-old teacher who was run over by his truck in 2015.

The court also asked the family to ₹60 lakh as fixed deposit for the minor daughter of the deceased until she attained the age of 21. It was also ordered that the remaining ₹5.5 lakh has to be spent by the grandparents for the welfare of the minor.

The accident occurred on May 11, 2015, at around 2.40 pm, when Seeta Kanapathy, a teacher from Dharavi, was riding pillion on a scooter with her father. As they were reaching Ahilyabai Holkar Hospital in Mazgaon, a truck rammed into them at high speed.

The driver of the semi-trailer allegedly drove recklessly and recklessly and hit the scooter from behind, causing Kanapathy to fall. Kanapathy tried to regain consciousness but it was too late as the rear wheel of the truck ran over her. She sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Sir JJ Hospital. She was later shifted to Lifecare Hospital in Dharavi and died during treatment on June 6, 2015.

The prosecution stated that Kanapathy worked as a teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Sion and also earned money through tutoring.

However, the court noted that the deceased’s father, who was driving the scooter, died during the trial, so there was no witness to the accident. After hearing the case in detail, the tribunal confirmed that the accident happened due to the reckless and negligent driving of the trailer driver and resulted in Kanapathy’s death.

The court ruled that the owner of the trailer was obliged to pay compensation to the family of the deceased, which included her mother, husband and minor daughter. This compensation, totalling ₹65,47,260, including loss of dependency, parental consortium, loss of estate, medical expenses and funeral expenses.

This amount, the court said, includes no-fault liability (which holds a person or company responsible for damages or injuries without the need to prove fault or negligence) plus interest at a rate of 7% per annum from the date of application until realisation.