05 April,2026 02:47 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
The fatal car crash took place in 2022. Representational Pic/File
A Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in has awarded Rs 20.52 lakh in compensation to the family of a 74-year-old businessman who died in a car accident in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported the PTI.
The fatal car crash took place in 2022.
The victim who was identified as Ganesh Gopal Chaudhari had sustained severe injuries after a collision and later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital on the same day, the news agency reported.
The accident occurred on November 22, 2022, when Chaudhari was travelling by car from Vikramgad towards Nashik. A speeding four-wheeler reportedly lost control on a bend in the ghat section and crashed into his vehicle, according to the PTI.
The tribunal observed that the driver of the offending vehicle was driving at an excessive speed and failed to properly judge the turn, leading to the fatal collision.
Thane MACT member R V Mohite directed the vehicle owner and the insurer, Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd., to jointly and severally pay the compensation, as per the PTI.
The tribunal also ordered that the amount should carry 9 per cent annual interest from the date the petition was filed.
The tribunal calculated the deceased's annual income at Rs 5.9 lakh, based on his income tax returns, before arriving at the total compensation amount.
Out of the awarded sum:
- Rs 13.52 lakh will be paid to his wife
- Rs 7 lakh will be given to his son
The tribunal dismissed the insurance company's argument that the driver did not possess a valid driving licence, holding it liable along with the vehicle owner, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, in an another case, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded a compensation of Rs 21.5 lakh to the family of a 45-year-old woman run over by a speeding tempo in 2020, reported news agency PTI.
The tribunal, presided over by K P Shrikhande, held the tempo driver solely responsible for the fatal accident, directing the vehicle owner and insurer to jointly and severally pay the compensation with a 9 per cent annual interest from December 9, 2020, when the claim was filed, till realisation, reported PTI.
A copy of the order passed on March 30 was made available on Saturday.
The accident occurred on August 30, 2020, on the Kalyan-Bhiwandi road near Kongaon when a speeding tempo hit the victim, Meera Kamlesh Singh, from behind while she was standing near a road divider, reported PTI.
The victim succumbed to the grievous injuries sustained in the accident.
The tribunal held that the vehicle was being driven in a rash and negligent manner.
Quoting a Supreme Court ruling, the tribunal noted, "It is settled in law that once a chargesheet has been filed and the driver has been held negligent, no further evidence is required to establish negligence."
The tribunal dismissed the insurer's contention regarding breach of policy conditions.
Treating the deceased as a homemaker, the tribunal fixed a notional income of Rs 7,000 per month and calculated total compensation at Rs 21.5 lakh.
(with PTI inputs)
