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Mahesh Lalchand Makhija, who lost his hand in a 2019 Thane bus accident, was awarded Rs 1.39 crore. The tribunal held United India Insurance and bus owner Riyaz Kader liable
The victim was travelling on a private luxury bus when the driver lost control, resulting in a crash near Savarne village in Thane. (Representative/PTI File)
A man in Maharashtra’s Thane who lost his hand in a bus accident five years ago has now been awarded Rs 1.39 crore in compensation.
The victim, identified as Mahesh Lalchand Makhija, a former sales manager, was travelling on a private luxury bus when the driver lost control, resulting in a crash near Savarne village in Thane district on Kalyan-Nagar Highway.
The accident, which occurred on December 16, 2019, left Makhija with severe injuries, ultimately leading to the amputation of his left hand at a Mumbai hospital. Makhija, who was 51 at the time, initially sought compensation based on his then-monthly income of Rs 3.6 lakh.
In his ruling on March 10, Motor Accident Claims Tribunals (MACT) Chairman SB Agarwal attributed the accident to the negligence of the bus driver. The tribunal found the vehicle’s insurer, United India Insurance Company Limited, primarily liable for the compensation. However, the tribunal also granted the insurer the right to recover the awarded sum from the bus owner, Riyaz Kader Mohammed.
The insurer had contested the claim, arguing that the driver lacked a valid licence for a heavy vehicle, thus violating the insurance policy. However, the tribunal dismissed this argument.
“The insurer’s defence was that the driver did not hold a valid licence for a heavy vehicle. The licence on record was for an LMV (light motor vehicle) and the owner had not provided any evidence to the contrary,” it said. The tribunal deemed both respondents liable for compensating the petitioner.
The tribunal ordered the insurance company to pay Makhija Rs 1,39,48,645 in compensation, plus 7.5% interest accruing from the date the petition was filed. The insurer then has the right to recover this amount from the bus owner.
- Location :
Thane, India, India