Pune: A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Pune has directed a truck owner and the insurer to jointly and severally pay Rs 20.54 lakh to the parents and three siblings of a mechanic, Nurain Ansari (22), who died in an accident on Sept 21, 2018, at Datta Chowk on Telco Road in Bhosari. The tribunal also imposed a 7% per annum interest on the payout from Dec 17, 2018, when the claim petition was filed till the actual realiSation of the payment. Ansari was riding a motorcycle along with a friend when the truck allegedly took a sudden turn at speed without indication and collided with the motorcycle. Ansari sustained multiple injuries in the crash and later died during treatment at a hospital in Nagpur. The tribunal proceeded ex parte against the truck owner who never appeared before it during the course of hearing of the claim petition. Ansari’s parents and siblings filed a compensation claim of Rs50 lakh, stating that Ansari worked as a tyre mechanic at a shop in Pune and earned Rs 19,500 per month. However, the tribunal found the salary certificate unreliable as it had been issued by a co-worker and did not contain basic employment details or supporting records. In the absence of credible proof of income, the tribunal assessed Ansari’s earnings notionally at Rs 9,000 per month, considering prevailing daily wage rates for labourers in 2018. After applying the multiplier method and adding amounts towards future prospects, consortium, funeral expenses and medical treatment, the tribunal fixed the total compensation at Rs 20.54 lakh. The tribunal also rejected the insurer’s contention that the truck driver did not hold a valid licence, noting that the driver had a valid transport vehicle licence during the period of the accident.
