New Delhi, Jul 2 A Delhi Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has awarded Rs 18.39 lakh compensation to the parents of a 21-year-old man who died in a car accident in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, holding the driver of the vehicle responsible for the fatal crash.
Presiding Officer Manish Sharma was hearing the claim petition filed by the parents of Deepanshu Verma, who lost his life after a car in which he was travelling struck a divider in Hapur district.
In an order dated June 6, the tribunal said, “This Tribunal holds that the deceased died in the accident caused by Respondent No 1 (car driver). He was rash while driving the offending vehicle at the time of accident.”
The tribunal noted that the car was insured at the time of accident and directed the insurer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, to deposit the award amount along with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the petition until its realisation within 30 days.
According to the claim petition, Deepanshu Verma was travelling with four others from Delhi to Ranikhet on October 6, 2014, when their vehicle struck a divider in Hapur. He sustained grievous injuries and was declared dead at a hospital in Meerut.
The driver, Sapan Saxena, contended that the accident occurred after some animals suddenly came onto the road and that he collided with the divider while trying to save them.
Rejecting the explanation, the tribunal said that the driver failed to satisfactorily explain the circumstances in which the vehicle rammed into the divider.
"The version of R-1 (Saxena) that some animals suddenly came in front of his car appears to be unbelievable. It appears that he was driving negligently," the tribunal said.
It further noted that the very fact that the vehicle collided with the divider indicated negligence on the part of the driver and that there was no evidence of any mechanical defect in the vehicle or any negligent act on the part of the deceased.
"In view of the above discussion, this Tribunal is constrained to hold R-1 responsible for gross neglect and default in driving the offending vehicle at the relevant time leading to the death of the deceased," the order said.
The tribunal assessed the deceased's income on the basis of minimum wages applicable to a skilled worker in Delhi at the time of the accident, noting that he was a Class 12 pass and was working as a driver.
In addition, it awarded compensation under the heads of parental consortium, loss of estate and funeral expenses, taking the total compensation to Rs 18.39 lakh.
