E-Paper
19-year-old Chandigarh girl left with broken teeth in accident gets ₹1.26 lakh relief
The girl was hit by a car, bearing a Punjab registration number car, on October 9, 2018; she sustained injuries and was taken to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, for treatment
The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal (MACT) has awarded ₹1.26 lakh compensation to a 19-year-old girl who was left with three broken teeth and 30% dental disability in a road accident in 2018.
The victim, Simran, a resident of Sector 24, submitted before the tribunal that she was returning from the Sector 37 government school after dropping off her sister on October 9, 2018.
Around 8.30 am, she was driving on the main road in front of Ambedkar Bhawan, Sector 37, when a car, bearing a Punjab registration number car, rammed into her.
She sustained injuries and was taken to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, for treatment. Subsequently, a case was registered at the Sector-39 police station.
The car driver was identified as Arshiya of Zirakpur and the car owner as Rajdeep Sandhu of Patiala.
Seeking compensation from the two respondents, Simran claimed she suffered 30% dental disability due to the accident and was still undergoing treatment from the Sector 25 dental hospital.
In her reply, Arshiya alleged that the claimant herself was negligent and riding her scooter at high speed. She was riding in the right lane, meant for fast-moving traffic. She suddenly came close to her car and to save her, she swerved her vehicle to the extreme right, causing it to climb on the road divider. Due to the impact, the front right tyre of the car burst.
She further claimed she was driving at 50km/h which was within the permissible limit on the road and even arranged a cab to take Simran to the hospital.
The medical officer proved that the claimant had disability because of the loss of three teeth, but said it could be treated with replacements.
The tribunal took note of CCTV footage of the accident that showed that the car had time to slow down or avoid the scooter, but the driver kept the same pace. Observing that the footage cannot be ignored, it decided in favour of the claimant.
The victim was awarded ₹41,429 for medical bills, ₹50,000 for the loss of marriage prospects and enjoyment of life due to broken teeth, ₹15,000 for the trauma of hospitalisation and injuries, and ₹20,000 for dental implants. The compensation will be paid jointly by both the driver and owner of the car.
