Consumer court: Insurer told to pay ₹11 lakh to Mohali man whose car fell into gorge
The complainant, Parmeet Singh, had filed a case against United India Insurance Company Limited, Mohali
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mohali has directed an insurance company to pay ₹11 lakh compensation to a Mohali resident, whose insured car got damaged after falling into a 200-foot-deep ditch.
The complainant, Parmeet Singh, had filed a case against United India Insurance Company Limited, Mohali, wherein he alleged that he was a subscriber of an insurance policy for his car. On September 27, 2016, he had gone to Mata Bhangani Haripurdhar in Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, where due to the down slope, his parked car fell into the gorge.
He stated that the insurance policy was valid till September 30, 2016. In October, a spot surveyor visited the spot, observed that the vehicle is damaged and prepared the report. He stated that even after he accepted the settlement of ₹10.5 lakh, the firm did not pay anything and instead started causing harassment.
Before the commission, the insurance company alleged that as per the report of the technical expert, the complainant had himself got the vehicle damaged in totality. The vehicle was such that once it is parked on electronic handbrake mode, it could not fall into the gorge.
The commission observed that since the company had agreed to pay the amount to the complainant and had even taken consent along with affidavits, and that too after verification of the facts, “we feel that it was not justified to withhold the amount from the complainant”.
Considering it to be an “unfair trade practice”, the commission directed the company to pay ₹10.5 lakh along with an interest of 12% per annum from the date of accident besides ₹50,000 compensation to the complainant.
