A Thane tribunal has awarded ₹38.74 lakh in compensation to a family who lost their father and son in a tragic road accident caused by a negligent truck driver in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the importance of road safety and victim compensation.
The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 38.74 lakh to the family of a father-son duo killed in a road accident in 2020.
MACT member RV Mohite on Tuesday passed two separate orders of compensation for the death of the man and his son.
The incident occurred near a petrol pump in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, on September 6, 2020, when Jayshankar Jangiram Yadav (54) was riding a motorcycle with his 25-year-old son, Aashutosh, as a pillion rider. A speeding truck swerved into the wrong lane and dashed into their two-wheeler.
Both succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital.
Yadav's wife and elder son, residents of Thane in Maharashtra, approached the tribunal here seeking separate compensation for the deaths.
The offending truck's owner did not appear before the tribunal and the matter was decided ex parte against him.
The truck's insurer, however, contested the claim, alleging negligence on the part of the motorcycle rider, but the tribunal dismissed the arguments due to a lack of evidence.
The driver of the offending vehicle could not control speed, left his lane, entered the opposite lane and gave dash to the motorcycle of the deceased. There is nothing on record to show any contributory negligence on the part of the deceased, the MACT observed.
The tribunal awarded a compensation of Rs 15,29,000 for Yadav's death, noting his service as a heavy vehicle driver.
For his son's death, the MACT granted a compensation of Rs 23,45,000. Though he was not yet employed, the tribunal considered his educational qualifications, including a Master's in Computer Application, while deciding on the amount.
The tribunal ordered the truck owner and insurer to pay the total amount jointly and severally with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of the petition.