CHENNAI: A consumer court has directed an insurance company to pay compensation to its customer who was denied the claim amount for his damaged car on the ground that the damages were not relevant to the cause and nature of the accident.
The petitioner, M Chandrasekar of Kolathur, was driving with his wife and two toddlers to Trichy from Chennai in February 2010. They stopped at a roadside shop and were having tea when a vehicle rammed into the car, damaging the front portion, windshield and doors as well.
The nearest police station was nine km away and the place was unfamiliar. Left to take care of his wife and two small children, he decided to return to Chennai.
However, the damaged bumper and bonnet kept rubbing against the front tyres, forcing him to take the service of a local mechanic. But, soon after reaching Chennai, he completed all the claim formalities with United India Insurance Co. The company’s surveyor inspected the vehicle but declared that the damages had accumulated over accidents that had occurred over a long time.
The District Consumer Disputes Forum, presided by K Jayabalan, found most of the damage was in the front of the vehicle such as the bonnet, front right side, bumper, grill and windshield, which proved that the vehicle was damaged during the accident and not accumulated over a longer period. Accordingly the forum directed the company to pay a sum of `23,150 towards the claim amount and additionally pay `10,000 as compensation plus `5000 towards litigation expenses.