GAUHATI HIGH COURT
S.Talapatra, J.
Shafiar Rahman -Appellant
Versus
United India Insurance Company Ltd. and Ors. -Resopndent
MAC App. No.89 of 2009
Decided On : 28-09-2012
Motor Vehicles Act,1988 - Sections 140(1), 142 ,143 ,166(2),163A,168,and 173 - Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 - Section 140(1) - Appeal - Motor Accident Claims Tribunal - United India Insurance Company - Accident that occurred involving vehicle bearing registration which was insured with respondent United India Insurance Company Ltd as well as injuries sustained by appellant from said accident are not in dispute by either of parties or in appeal - As such those findings are affirmed and further appraisal thereof is avoided - Solitary question that has been projected in appeal is that Tribunal acted illegally by not accepting Disability Certificate and the other medical documents which demonstrated disability of appellant as received from accident - Held, Court after examining documents has to hold that medical opinion as tendered by document cannot be brushed aside so easily when it is categorically stated that some parts of body have been suffering from severe weakness permanent destruction of bodily capacity and in opinion of medical experts it has reduced ability of appellant - It is however true that way medical opinion has been reflected in certificates creates vagueness - However a conjoint reading of documents as well as documents annexed with memorandum of appeal as Annexure A there cannot be any confusion as regards disability - Inquiry has to be made on basis of expert opinion and as such way Tribunal has discarded those opinion cannot be accepted by this court - Hence Findings of Tribunal as excerpted stand interfered with and set aside - Document also is in the nature of a public document issued by Government of Assam for persons with disability which shows that appellant is orthopedically handicapped by 50% - However from certificate issued from Hospital it appears that appellant only suffered weakness in his right side of his body and pain in back following head injury and soft tissue injury in his back which has been accounted for disability to the extent of 50% - Orthopaedic Surgeon who issued said certificate has also deposed in Tribunal - Appeal stands allowed
2. The findings as returned by the Tribunal as regards the accident that occurred on 4.7.2003 involving the vehicle bearing registration No.ML-08/9497, which was insured with the respondent No.1, United India Insurance Company Ltd. as well as the injuries sustained by the appellant from the said accident are not in dispute by either of the parties or in the appeal. As such, those findings are affirmed and further appraisal thereof is avoided.
3. The solitary question that has been projected in the appeal is that the Tribunal acted illegally by not accepting the Disability Certificate (Exbt-2) and the other medical documents (Exbts.- 6,7,8,9 and 10 series), which demonstrated the disability of the appellant as received from the accident. The finding of the Tribunal has been brought under serious criticism where the Tribunal has recorded as under :
"Usually we are to be governed by the section 142 and second schedule of MV Act and schedule 1 of the Workmen's Compensation Act, so far the question of injuries deemed to be resulted in permanent disablement, total or partial and corresponding loss of earning capacity consequent thereof is concerned, inasmuch as, according to the second schedule of the MV Act disability and resultant loss of earning capacity is to be assessed according to schedule 1 of WC Act. The injuries and resultant disability suffered by the claimant as deposed to by PW3 and disclose by Ex.2 does not appear to be covered by any of the clauses of partial disability enumerated in schedule one of the WC Act, or section 142 of the MVAct. However, schedule 2 of the MVAct is meant for a petition under section 163A of MVAct. The present petition being under section 166 of MVAct, it is not necessary that we must strictly follow the second schedule, although usually the spirit of the second schedule is taken note of, in deciding the cases under section 166 of MVAct(2). Notwithstanding the disability of 50% in the instant case having not come within the purview of disability enumerated in schedule 1 of the Workmen's Compensation Act or section 142 of the MVAct, it cannot necessarily be said that the petitioner has not suffered any disability at all. In case of partial disability basic question is what is the corresponding loss of earning capacity for the disability alleged. Evidently the disability in the instant does not come under any of the clauses of schedule one of the WC Act, and as such the loss of earning capacity resulted from the disability has to be ascertained on the basis of the facts and circumstances of the present case. The petitioner has not adduced any evidence to show as to how far his earning capacity has been affected for the injury. Evidently the claimant has not suffered any fractured injury. As per Ex.2 disability is attributed only to the weakness and pain. Since the claimant has failed to adduce any evidence, as to how and to what extent his earning capacity has been affected and disability of the claimant also having not covered either by schedule one of the WC Ac or section 142 of the MVAct, it is difficult to hold that the claimant has suffered any loss of earning capacity for the disability alleged in the instant case."
4. Mr. K. Bhattacharjee, learned counsel appearing for the appellant strenuously urged this court to assess the compensation going by the Ext.2 document, i.e., on the basis of the disability as received by the appellant to the extent of 50%.
5. The Ext.3 document also is in the nature of a public document issued by the Government of Assam for persons with disability which shows that the appellant is orthopedically handicapped by 50%. However, from the certificate issued from the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (Ext.2), it appears that the appellant only suffered weakness
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