Thane, The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Maharashtra’s Thane district has awarded a compensation of ₹94.27 lakh to a woman lawyer, who was rendered paraplegic after a road accident in 2019.
MACT member R V Mohite directed the owner of the car that rammed into the victim’s scooter and the insurer, New India Assurance Co. Ltd., to pay the compensation jointly and severally with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of the petition.
A copy of the order dated February 27, was made available on Monday.
Vaishali Nitin Mohite , an advocate, was riding her scooter on the Nashik-Mumbai Highway on July 26, 2019, when a speeding car hit her from behind. The impact was so severe that she was dragged for several feet and crashed into a cement barrier.
While the claimant originally sought ₹2 crore in damages, the tribunal assessed the just compensation based on her 100 per cent functional disability.
“The claimant is bedridden. She is suffering from traumatic paraplegia due to accidental injuries. She is suffering from 100 per cent disability. She is lying on the bed like a corpse,” it noted.
The court rejected the insurance company’s plea that the claimant was negligent or had not worn a helmet at the time of the accident, noting that the spot panchanama showed a broken helmet at the scene.
It also took note of the fact that the car driver had pleaded guilty in the criminal case.
Although the claimant’s husband argued she was earning a monthly income of ₹50,000, the tribunal fixed her notional income at ₹25,000 per month due to a lack of documentary evidence regarding her active practice in Thane.
The tribunal awarded a compensation of ₹94.27 lakh, including ₹42 lakh for loss of future income, ₹15 lakh for attendant charges, ₹10 lakh for pain, suffering, and loss of amenities.
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