New Delhi, Oct 19 A motor accident claims tribunal in Delhi has awarded Rs 2.55 crore in compensation to a 26-year-old entrepreneur who lost her left leg above the knee after a truck hit her scooter in 2024.
Presiding Officer Gunjan Gupta was hearing a claim petition filed by Reena and directed National Insurance Company Limited, the insurer of the truck, to pay Rs 2.55 crore with 9 per cent annual interest from February 22, 2025, within 30 days.
In an order dated October 15, the tribunal said, "The functional disability of the petitioner has been assessed as 100 per cent in the foregoing part of this award. With the said disability and consequent difficulties, with no chance of improvement, the petitioner would not be able to lead the same life as she used to before the accident."
The accident took place on November 5, 2024, at Peeragarhi Chowk. Reena was riding pillion with her two-year-old son when the truck hit the scooter. One of the truck's wheels ran over her left leg, which was later amputated. She underwent three surgeries.
The insurer had blamed the scooter rider and argued that the women were not wearing helmets. The tribunal rejected the contentions, noting that Reena's testimony on rash driving was unrebutted. The driver-cum-owner of the truck, Mahinder Singh, did not appear before the tribunal and an adverse inference was drawn against him.
The bulk of the award, Rs 1.68 crore, was for the loss of future earning capacity. Though the disability was certified at 80 per cent for the left lower limb, the tribunal assessed the functional disability at 100 per cent as Reena had to shut her business.
It took her monthly income as Rs 58,915, including Rs 6,000 for her contribution as a homemaker, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling. She has three children aged between two and four years.
The tribunal said medical expenses cannot be denied for want of bills and that a wrongdoer cannot benefit from a victim's mediclaim policy.
The tribunal awarded a total of Rs 2.55 crore to the victim under various heads.
