Compensation for accident victim’s mother

Chennai: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Chennai, has directed an insurance firm and owner of a private bus to pay a compensation of Rs 11.18 lakh to a woman for causing the death of her 23-year-old son in a road accident last year. In the petition, Saritha, mother of the deceased, submitted that her son, Vijayan, 23, was on his way to work in a  footwear company on his motorcycle on March 28, 2013, when a private bus ran over him on the Kanchipuram-Vandavasi Road, killing him.

The police registered a case against the bus driver. The boy's mother contended that family members had depended on his income for running their household. She therefore sought a compensation of Rs31 lakh from the owner of the bus, Banugopan, and the United India Insurance Company Co Ltd, insurer of the bus.

While Banugopan failed to appear before the court, the insurance company submitted that the accident occurred due to rash and negligent riding on Vijayan's part. Hence, the petition was liable to be dismissed.

On completion of the trial,  chief judge B. Gokuldass said that the accident was caused due to the rash and negligent driving of the bus driver. The bus driver lost control over the vehicle and ran over the motorcycle when attempting to overtake a government bus. Hence, the owner of the bus and insurance firm were liable to pay a compensation of '11.18 lakh to the mother of the accident victim. The chief judge directed the insurance firm to pay the amount with an interest of 7.5 per cent per annum within two months.