A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Mohali has awarded compensation of ₹52.88 lakh to the family of a 40-year-old man who died in a road accident near Kurali in December 2023.
The compensation was awarded to the victim’s wife, Sita Devi, her three minor children and the victim’s mother. The tribunal observed that the accident occurred due to rash and negligent driving by Lakhwinder Singh from Patiala, who was riding an Innova car. The amount will be paid jointly by the driver, owner and the insurance company of the vehicle.
According to the case, the victim Dinesh Sharma, a carpenter contractor earning his livelihood through private work, was returning home on the night of December 9, 2023, along with his wife and son on a motorcycle. At around 11 pm, when they reached the Kurali overbridge, an Innova car coming from the opposite direction hit their motorcycle. The impact threw all three onto the road, leaving them with serious injuries.
Passersby rushed the injured to Kharar civil hospital where doctors declared Dinesh dead. His wife and son survived the accident. An FIR was registered at Kurali city police station based on the statement of an eyewitness, who also noted the vehicle number.
During the proceedings, the tribunal relied on eyewitness testimony, medical records and the FIR to conclude that the accident was caused by negligent driving. It also took into account income tax returns filed by the deceased to assess his annual income, which was at around ₹3.31 lakh.
Considering his age and future earning prospects, the tribunal added 40% towards future income and applied a multiplier of 15 to calculate the loss of dependency. After deducting personal expenses and adding conventional heads such as loss of consortium, funeral expenses and loss of estate, the total compensation was calculated at ₹52,88,920.
The tribunal directed that 40% of the compensation be given to the widow, while the remaining amount be equally distributed among the children and the deceased’s mother. The shares of the minor children will be kept in fixed deposits until they attain the age of 18 years. The family will also receive interest at 7.5% per annum from the date of filing of the petition until realisation.
