Thane, March 2 The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra's Thane district has awarded a compensation of Rs 94.27 lakh to a woman lawyer, who became paraplegic after a road accident in 2019.
MACT member R V Mohite directed the owner of the car that collided with the victim's scooter and the insurer, New India Assurance Co. Ltd., to jointly and severally pay the compensation with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of the petition.
A copy of the order dated February 27, was made available on Monday.
Vaishali Nitin Mohite (52), a lawyer, was riding her scooter on the Nashik-Mumbai Highway on July 26, 2019, when a speeding car hit her from behind. The impact was so severe that she was dragged for several feet and crashed into a concrete barrier.
While the claimant initially sought Rs 2 crore in damages, the tribunal assessed the appropriate compensation based on her 100 per cent functional disability.
"The claimant is bedridden. She is suffering from traumatic paraplegia due to accidental injuries. She is suffering from 100 per cent disability. She is lying on the bed like a corpse," it noted.
The court rejected the insurance company's plea that the claimant was negligent or had not worn a helmet at the time of the accident, noting that the site report showed a broken helmet at the scene.
It also noted that the car driver had pleaded guilty in the criminal case.
Although the claimant's husband argued that she earned a monthly income of Rs 50,000, the tribunal fixed her notional income at Rs 25,000 per month due to a lack of documentary evidence regarding her active practice in Thane.
The tribunal awarded a compensation of Rs 94.27 lakh, including Rs 42 lakh for loss of future income, Rs 15 lakh for attendant charges, and Rs 10 lakh for pain, suffering, and loss of amenities.