Insurance firm told to pay Rs 69 lakh to family of Chennai accident victim 

The insurance firm had earlier said that the victim was responsible for reckless driving.
Image used for representational purpose only
Image used for representational purpose only

CHENNAI: Seven years after the death of a 34-year-old techie in an accident near the Perungalathur signal, a motor accident claim tribunal directed a private insurance firm to provide a compensation of Rs 69.55 lakh to the family.  

According to the petition submitted by T Gayathri, wife of S Sugumaran, he was driving his bike along the GST road near Perungalathur on October 9, 2012, when a Haryana-registered lorry hit his vehicle and three others. Sugumaran succumbed to injuries at a private hospital later.

He was the sole breadwinner of the family, Gayathri said, adding that the accident was caused by the negligence of the driver and so, Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, the insurer of the lorry, was liable to pay a compensation of Rs 1.20 crore.

Denying the allegation, the insurance firm said it was Sugumaran who was responsible for the reckless driving. The tribunal headed by S Umamaheshwari observed that the accident was due to the rash driving of the lorry driver who was also holding a fake licence.

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