Chandigarh: Couple gets ₹15 lakh relief in road mishap

A couple received ₹15.63 lakh compensation from the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal after their son died in a 2020 road accident in Rajasthan.

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded ₹15.63 lakh in compensation, along with annual interest at 7.5%, to a couple after their petition in connection with a road accident was partly allowed.

Neeraj suffered multiple injuries, including a grievous head injury, and died on the spot (Representational Image)

The claim petition, filed by Lata Devi and her husband, Bal Mukand, residents of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh, was submitted in 2021 following the death of their 23-year-old son, Neeraj Kumar, in an accident that occurred on July 4, 2020. Neeraj was traveling as a co-driver with Ved Parkash Sharma in a canter while transporting a consignment from Nagpur to Srinagar.

The accident took place around 5:30 pm near the turning point of Kotputli city in Rajasthan. According to the claim petition, the canter collided with the rear of a truck-trailer (owned by M/s HPR Transport Company of Gujarat and driven by Karan Singh of Meerut), which had allegedly applied its brakes suddenly.

Neeraj suffered multiple injuries, including a grievous head injury, and died on the spot. An FIR was registered against the truck-trailer driver under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC at Kotputli police station, Jaipur district, Rajasthan.

The respondents, including the drivers, the truck-trailer owner, and two insurance companies (United India Insurance Company for both vehicles), denied the allegations. After hearing all parties, the tribunal, in its order dated November 1, ruled that the accident occurred due to the composite negligence of both drivers.