Delhi MACT Awards ₹92.58 Lakh Compensation to Mother of Woman Killed in Goa Road Accident

New Delhi, June 15: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Delhi has awarded compensation of ₹92.58 lakhto the mother of a 28-year-old woman who died in a road accident in Goa in 2016.

Presiding Officer Richa Manchanda passed the order while adjudicating a claim petition filed by Kusum Sehrawat, whose daughter Megha Sehrawat lost her life after a mini-bus allegedly struck the scooter she was riding on December 30, 2016.

In its June 6 order, the tribunal held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the mini-bus driver, Pradeep Namdev Shetgaonkar. The tribunal observed that the petitioner had successfully established negligence based on the evidence placed on record.

“The petitioner has been able to prove on the basis of preponderance of probabilities that the deceased sustained fatal injuries in the road accident due to the rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle,” the tribunal noted.

The tribunal relied on key documents, including the FIR, charge sheet, post-mortem report and other records. It also drew an adverse inference from the driver's failure to enter the witness box and rebut the allegations against him.

According to the claim petition, Megha Sehrawat was a BTech and MBA graduate employed with a Mumbai-based company. Her mother stated that the deceased was financially supporting her and contributing to the family's expenses.

Although some employment-related documents were not formally proved during the proceedings, the tribunal examined the deceased's bank account statements, which reflected regular salary credits. Based on the evidence, it assessed her net monthly income at ₹64,342 at the time of the accident.

After calculating the loss of dependency and other admissible heads of compensation, the tribunal awarded a total compensation of ₹92.58 lakh, along with interest at 7.5 per cent per annum from April 19, 2017, until the amount is realised.

Noting that the offending vehicle was insured at the time of the accident, the tribunal directed the insurance company to deposit the compensation amount within 30 days.

The ruling reiterates the importance of documentary evidence, including bank records, in determining compensation in motor accident claims and ensuring financial relief for dependents of road accident victims.