Persons driving public carriers must possess valid driving badges, said the judge
Picture for representational purpose
Chennai: While directing a van owner and a public sector insurance firm to pay Rs 28.73 lakh to the parents of a 23-year-old techie who had died in a road accident in 2008, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Chennai observed on Friday that drivers of public goods carrying vehicles should possess valid badges to drive transport vehicle.
Tragically, the deceased, S.K. Perumal, who specialised in information and micro strategy technologies, had received a visa to work in the US on the date of his death, March 20, 2008. On March 20, 2008, at 1.30 pm Perumal and his friend Sathish Narayanan had taken a car for repairing in Pudupet.
The duo was discussing with a mechanic on the southern side of the South Cooum Road platform when a van, which was being driven in a rash and negligent manner, ran over them and capsized. Six persons sustained grievous injuries and Perumal, who sustained internal injuries, died on the way to hospital.
The petitioners, S.K. Sivagami and S. Kolapillai of Tiruvelveli, submitted that their son, Perumal, was working as a DW Developer in an IT firm in Alwarpet, Chennai and was receiving a salary of Rs 22,536 per month. He had completed his B Tech in Information Technology, Anna University, with first class in 2006. He received a visa to work in the US on the date of his death, March 20, 2008.
The Anna Square Traffic Investigation wing police station had registered a case against the van driver.The petitioners, legal heirs of Perumal, a bachelor, sought a compensation of Rs 50 lakh from owner of the van, M. Raja of Red Hills, Thiruvallur district and United India Insurance company Co Ltd. Raja and driver of the vehicle had not appeared before the court during the trial.
In its reply, the insurance firm denied the allegations and stated that the narration about the accident was false, baseless and untenable. The policyholder had willfully violated the conditions of the insurance policy by permitting a person to drive the public carrier without valid license. Hence, the firm was not liable to pay the compensation to the petitioners, they said.
On completion of trial, special sub-judge, Mr J. Chandran said that the Tribunal held that the accident had occurred and Perumal had died for no fault of his own. It had occurred only due to the rash and negligent driving of the van driver. Persons driving public carriers must possess valid driving badges. The judge also said that if the deceased had gone to the US to work, he would have earned more salary and would have a prosperous future. He said that the deceased’s parents were entitled for compensation of Rs 28.73 lakh with an interest of 7.5 per cent per annum.
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