Rs 31 lakh compensation awarded to kin of road mishap victim

New Delhi: A motor accident claims tribunal (MACT) here has awarded compensation of over Rs 31 lakh to the family members of a woman who died in a road accident in 2009 after being hit by a rashly driven truck.

The tribunal directed ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co Ltd, with which the offending truck was insured, to pay compensation of Rs?31,86,214 to the husband and two children of the 29-year-old Madhu, the deceased victim. "(Madhu) died due to rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle?by?R1 (truck driver)," held Rekha Rani, the MACT judge. The order came on a petition filed by the husband and two children. They told the tribunal that on August 25, 2009, they were going to their Rani Bagh residence on a motorcycle, being driven by the husband, when the truck hit the two-wheeler from behind. Madhu and the two minor children were thrown off the motorbike from the impact of the collision, they said, adding that the former sustained grievous injuries in the accident. She later succumbed to her injuries during treatment at a hospital. But the insurance firm contested the plea, arguing that the accident took place due to negligent driving by Madhu`s husband on the motorcycle. The tribunal, however, observed that the accident took place due to rash driving by the truck driver. "It is an admitted fact that four persons, including the driver, were on the motorcycle, which is not permissible... But, at the same time, the respondents have not adduced any evidence to prove that the driver of the motorcycle in any way contributed to the accident," the judge said.