MACT awards Rs 47 lakh compensation to man who lost leg in road accident

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra’s Thane district has awarded a compensation of Rs 47.78 lakh to a 42-year-old man who lost his leg after being run over by a speeding tempo on a highway.

MACT member RV Mohite, on Monday, held the tempo owner, Somnath Suresh Gole, solely responsible for the accident and directed him to pay the compensation along with 9 per cent interest per annum from the date of the petition.

As per the case details, the claimant, Paresh Baburao Naik, a resident of Mira Road, was riding his motorcycle on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway on October 1, 2020, when an autorickshaw coming from the wrong side brushed past him, causing him to fall onto the path of a speeding tempo that ran over his leg.

Naik underwent multiple surgeries, subsequently resulting in the amputation of his right leg below the knee. The tribunal observed that the claimant had suffered 100 per cent functional disability due to injuries sustained in the accident.

It held that despite the disability certificate stating 50 per cent permanent disability, the practical impact was far greater for the claimant, who earned a living as a driver. The tempo owner did not appear before the tribunal despite being served with a summons, and the proceedings were held ex parte against him.

“The opponent has not denied involvement of the offending vehicle in the accident. He has not denied his rashness and negligence. There is nothing on record to show that the claimant has contributed to the accident. So I hold that the alleged accident occurred due to the sole negligence of the opponent,” the tribunal stated.

The compensation of Rs 47.78 lakh includes Rs 28.80 lakh for future loss of income, Rs 11.52 lakh for future prospects, and approximately Rs 4.76 lakh for medical expenses.