She was treated for injuries in hospital and is now 25 per cent disabled. (Representational Image)
A girl has been awarded Rs 2 lakh compensation by the Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal for injuries she suffered during a road accident while she was standing outside her school in Bhayander in Thane in 2007.
While awarding the compensation, MACT member and district judge KD Vadane, however, refused the interest on the award amount from date of filing of the application in 2008 as the matter was delayed due to negligence of the applicant and she had not taken proper steps for adducing evidence, and hence allowed interest only from May 2015.
Namrata Chaturvedi (then aged 14) told the MACT that on January 4, 2007, around 1.20 pm was standing near a phone booth in front of her school to call her regular autorickshaw driver to return home. At that time, a school bus came in high speed, took a turn and knocked her down.
She was treated for injuries in hospital and is now 25 per cent disabled, the applicant said and sought a claim of Rs 5.30 lakh from three respondents - Holy Cross High School and Junior College, Bhayander, which owned the bus; driver Latif Mahaboob Shaikh and Reliance General Insurance Company.
She also stated that her father earned a monthly salary of Rs 14,000-15,000 and had to take leave for nine months during the period when she was at home and could not move, to attend to her.
The injuries and permanent disability caused to the applicant affected her educational career as well as her future working and earning capacity, she said.
The school did not appear before MACT, but the driver and the insurer made their submissions defending their case.
The insurance company argued that the applicant has not adduced any corroborative piece of evidence in respect of amount incurred on her medical treatment, medicines, conveyance, attendance, etc.
It further said that the applicant has completed MBA course and now she is working in L&T Infotech, Powai, and earning Rs 3.75 lakh per annum, which shows that the injuries caused to her have not hampered her educational career as well as her working and future earning capacity, therefore the applicant is not entitled for compensation, as claimed.