Teenager disabled in accident gets Rs 24.39 lakh

New Delhi: A college-going teenager, who became partially-disabled following a road accident in 2016, has received a compensation of over Rs 24 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in the national capital.

MACT presiding officer Madhu Jain directed a bank insurance company, insurer of the car, to pay Rs 24,39,350 to Fahad Ahmed Siddiqui, who was 19-years-old when he was hit by a rashly driven car last year.

The tribunal, while deciding the case in favour of the victim, relied on his medical report, which said he suffered 85 per cent permanent disability in his right leg, which had to be amputated.

It also relied on the documents including the FIR, the mechanical inspection report and the charge sheet filed against accused driver-cum-owner Mahesh Kumar.

According to the petition, Mr Siddiqui, a resident of New Friends Colony in Southeast Delhi, was going to his college in Noida on July 5, 2016, and as he was crossing road right outside the main gate of the college, a rashly driven car hit him from backside and dragged him to a distance.

He was taken to a hospital where he was admitted for almost a month and his leg was amputated.

During the proceedings, the accused driver refused to take the responsibility of the accident and instead blamed the victim for crossing the road negligently. The insurance company contended there was a delay of almost 20 days in lodging the FIR. The MACT, however, rejected all the contentions while relying on the documents available on record.

It also observed that the petitioner suffered grievous injuries due to which his family members are expected to first think about his medical treatment and then about lodging FIR. The FIR was lodged on July 24, 2016 on the complaint of victim’s father.

Last year, the MACT of Gurgaon had awarded a compensation of Rs 1.01 crore to family of 34-year-old road accident victim.