In a heartbreaking case from Maharashtra, an 8-year-old girl has been given Rs 32.41 lakh as compensation after her mother died in a road accident caused by her own father.

The accident happened in December 2021 when the father was driving between Nanded and Umarkhed. He lost control and hit a road divider, which led to the death of his wife, a 38-year-old nursing college teacher.

Later, the minor girl, with her grandmother as legal guardian, filed a case at the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The case was filed against her father and his insurance company to get compensation for the loss of her mother.

The tribunal found that the father was driving carelessly (negligently), which caused the accident. The insurance company tried to deny the claim, saying an unknown vehicle had hit their insured car and also claimed the father didn’t have a valid driving licence, which was against their rules.

But the court rejected these arguments and said the car had a valid comprehensive insurance policy.

The tribunal calculated a total compensation of Rs 64.82 lakh, based on the mother’s monthly income of Rs 38,411. This amount also included money for the family’s financial loss, the mother’s future earnings, and funeral expenses.

However, since the father was the one responsible for the accident, he was not allowed to benefit from his own wrong action. So, the court gave 50% of the compensation – Rs 32.41 lakh – to the minor daughter, with 8% interest per year from the date the case was filed.

The remaining amount (Rs 32.41 lakh) would normally go to the husband (father), but as he was found guilty, the court said he cannot claim it. The remaining amount may be given to other family members, to the daughter later, or may be handled by the court in another way.

This case shows that the law stands strong to protect the rights of victims, even if the wrongdoer is a family member.

Tags

• accident
• insurance
• thane
• maharashtra

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