Tamil Nadu: Whopping Rs 92 lakh accident relief

Chennai: The Motor Vehicles Accident Tribunal here on Tuesday awarded Rs 92 lakh as compensation, perhaps the highest amount ordered so far in the State, to the family members of a couple who were killed in a road accident in 2009. Of the total amount of Rs 91.78 lakh, accident victim Prathap Kumar’s father Kumar and his mother Valli will get Rs 20.89 lakh each. The balance of Rs 50 lakh should be saved in his minor daughter P Kavinaya’s name as a fixed deposit in a nationalised bank till she attains the age of majority, MVT presiding officer N Gunavathi ruled.

While travelling on a motor-cycle in Indira Nagar, Prathap Kumar and his wife Priyanga alias Elizabeth Mary were knocked down by a tipper lorry and they died on the spot on November 20, 2009. The fatal accident took place when Prathap Kumar, who was working in a private company in Canada, had come down to Chennai on vacation. At that time, Priyanga was working as a receptionist in a Chennai-based private company.

Prathap’s annual income exceeded Rs 6 lakh at the time of his death. The judge held that Sheik Mohammed of Thoraipakkam, the owner of the tipper lorry was responsible for the accident and hence his insurer ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company was liable to pay the compensation.

It is perhaps the highest amount ordered so far in an accident case in the state.

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