Tribunal awards Rs 13L to kin of road mishap victim

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Chandigarh, has directed IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Co Ltd to pay Rs 13,84,000 as compensation to the wife and two children of Arjun Parshad Ranjan, a resident of Behrewala village in Sirmaur, who died in a road accident four years ago.

The compensation petition was filed by Madhu Sharma, wife of the deceased, on behalf of herself and their two children.

According to the claim, on July 20, 2021, Arjun Parshad Ranjan was riding his scooter on National Highway 7, returning from Majra. As he approached Punjabi Dhaba in Jagatpur village, Paonta Sahib, a tractor, allegedly being driven in a rash and negligent manner at high speed, came from the opposite direction. While attempting to overtake another vehicle, the driver lost control, swerved to the extreme left and hit Ranjan’s scooter head-on.

As a result, Ranjan sustained grievous head injuries and multiple bodily injuries. Though rushed to the Civil Hospital in Paonta Sahib, he succumbed to his injuries the same day.

Eyewitness Rahim Khan reported the accident to the police. According to the petitioners, the accident was entirely due to the tractor driver’s reckless driving. At the time of his death, Ranjan, aged 46, was working as a construction contractor-cum-mason, earning approximately Rs 25,000 per month. The family had sought a compensation of Rs 75,00,000 with 12 per cent annual interest from the date of the accident.

The tractor driver denied fault, claiming instead that Ranjan himself was driving negligently and collided with the tractor’s trrailer. The insurance company also contested the petition, asserting that the tractor was not validly registered at the time of the accident.

However, after considering the evidence and arguments, the Tribunal ruled in favour of the claimants, holding that Arjun Parshad Ranjan’s death was indeed caused by the tractor driver’s negligence.

Accordingly, MACT awarded Rs 13,84,000 as compensation and directed the insurance company to pay the amount to the family, along with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of petition filing until final realisation.

Himachal Tribune