Thane MACT Awards ₹37.64 Lakh Compensation To Family Of 26-Year-Old Man In 2019 Road Accident Case

Mumbai: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Thane, has awarded Rs 37.64 lakh as compensation to the family of 26-year-old Kunal Ganesh Godbole, who died in a road accident in 2019. The judgment was delivered by MACT Chairman and Principal District Judge S. B. Agrawal.

Kunal Godbole, a resident of Charai, Thane, lost his life on the night of March 24, 2019, after a container truck rammed into his scooter near the Khopat signal. He sustained fatal head injuries and died on the spot. The deceased was on his way to work at the time of the accident.

His widow, mother, father, and minor sister had filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, seeking compensation from the truck’s owner and its insurer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company.

The Tribunal found that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver. It rejected the insurer’s defense that there was any breach of policy conditions, ruling both the owner and insurer jointly and severally liable to pay compensation.

The court maintained that looking at the deceased’s bank’s statement, it is clear that the deceased’s monthly income was assessed at Rs 17,247. The court applied a multiplier of 17 while calculating loss of dependency. Additional amounts were granted towards loss of estate, filial consortium, and funeral expenses, following Supreme Court guidelines.

The court further held that out of the total compensation amount, Rs 10 lakh each will be kept in fixed deposits for five years in the names of the widow, parents, and minor sister. “The remaining amount will be equally disbursed via account payee cheques, with 7.5% interest awarded on a portion of the compensation from the date of petition till realization,”the court held.