Thane: The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) has directed the owner of a motorcycle to pay Rs 36.9 lakh as compensation to the family of a 52-year-old man who died in a road accident near Padgha in 2017.According to case records, the victim was travelling on his motorcycle at around 4.15 pm on Jan 29, 2017, when another motorcycle coming from the opposite direction allegedly approached at a very high speed and rammed into him. The tribunal held that the collision occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the other rider. The victim sustained serious injuries and was immediately taken to a hospital in Kalyan, where he succumbed during treatment on the same day.Following the accident, Padgha Police registered a case invoking BNS sections 304A, 279, 337, and 338 along with relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The owner of the offending motorcycle did not participate in the tribunal proceedings despite receiving notice, resulting in the case being heard ex-parte.The tribunal examined documents including the FIR, spot panchanama, post-mortem report, and salary records. It noted that the deceased was employed with a private company in Shahad, earning a monthly salary of Rs 31,954. After deducting taxes and adding 10% future prospects, the tribunal calculated the annual income and applied a multiplier of 11, appropriate for the victim’s age group of 51–55 years. Compensation was awarded under various heads such as loss of dependency, loss of consortium, loss of estate, and funeral expenses, taking into account the victim’s dependents. The tribunal has also directed that the amount carry 9% annual interest from June 23, 2017, the date the claim was filed. A portion of the compensation will be placed in fixed deposits for the dependents for a period of three years.
