2022 Supreme(Raj) 442
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Anoop Kumar Dhand, J.
Anil Kumar S/o Munna Lal – Appellant
Versus
Devi Lal S/o Govind Ram – Respondents
S.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No. 866/2004
Decided On : 05-07-2022
For the Appellants : Mr. Jitendra Mitruka
For the Respondents: Mr. Amit Singh Shekhwat, Mr. Sukhram Jatav
Headnote:
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 – Section 173 – Motor Accident Claims – Appeal – Compensation – Appeal has been filed by appellant-claimant under Section 173 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 against judgment and award passed by Court of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal No.1, in claim case, by which claim petition filed by claimant appellant has been partly allowed and an amount has been awarded as compensation for injuries sustained by him – Held, Respondent-Insurance Company is directed to pay the enhanced amount of in addition to amount already awarded by the Tribunal vide judgment within a period of two months from date of receipt of a certified copy of this order – Enhanced amount shall carry interest @ 6% per annum from date of filing of claim petition till actual payment is made – It is further ordered that out of enhanced amount, Tribunal shall disburse a sum in Saving Bank Account of claimant-appellant and the balance amount of the enhanced compensation be invested in any Nationalized Bank initially for a period of three years and interest accrued on said amount shall be paid to appellant-claimant on monthly basis – Ordered Accordingly.
JUDGMENT :
1. The present civil misc. appeal has been filed by the appellant-claimant under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for short ‘the Act of 1988’) against the judgment and award dated 04.01.2003 passed by the Court of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal No.1, Jaipur (for short ‘the Tribunal’) in claim case No. 1552/1996, by which the claim petition filed by the claimant appellant has been partly allowed and an amount of Rs. 1,91,300/-has been awarded as compensation for the injuries sustained by him.
2. Learned Tribunal after framing the issues, evaluating the evidence available on the record and after hearing the counsel for the parties, decided the claim petition of the claimant appellant awarding compensation to the tune of Rs. 1,91,300/-under various heads in favour of the claimant appellant.
3. Learned counsel for the appellant claimant submits that in the aforesaid accident, the appellant has sustained 76.67% permanent disability and the disability certificate (Ex. 13) has been issued in this regard by the competent authority. Counsel further submits that because of the aforesaid permanent disabilities, the appellant is not in a position to live his life and discharge his daily routine activities which he was discharging prior to the accident. Counsel submits that on account of the aforesaid injuries and permanent disability, the service of an attendant is required and not a single penny has been awarded under this head. Counsel further submits that Dr. M.K. Mathur (AW-5) appeared in the witness box and he stated that the appellant has sustained 76.67% permanent disability and due to the aforesaid disability, he has to remain dependent on others for discharging his daily routine activities. Counsel further submits that though the factum of accident was established on the record of the Tribunal but the Tribunal has treated the instant case as the case of contributory negligence only on the ground that on the day of accident the injured was sitting on the two-wheeler and in all three persons were sitting on the two-wheeler. The Tribunal has seriously erred in holding that there was 50% contributory negligence by saying that there was violation of traffic rules and as per the traffic Rules, three persons cannot sit on the two-wheeler. Counsel further submits that this cannot be a reason to hold that there was 50% contributory negligence on the part of the appellant claimant because the claimant was not plying the vehicle. Counsel submits that it may be a case of composite negligence, so under these circumstances, the Tribunal has committed an error in holding 50% contributory negligence on the part of the appellant. In support of his contentions, counsel for the appellant has placed reliance on the judgment decided by this Court in the case of National Insurance Company Vs. Kastoori Devi and Shanti, reported in 1987 ACC 258 and recent judgment delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Mohammed Siddique and Anr. Vs. National Insurance Company Ltd. and Ors. (Civil Appeal No. 79/2020 decided on 08.01.2020). Counsel further submits that under the facts and circumstances of the case, the impugned judgment and award needs suitable enhancement by this Court.
4. Per contra, learned counsel for the respondent-Insurance Company as well as counsel for the other respondents submit that the Tribunal while deciding the claim petition of the appellant claimant has correctly taken into consideration the factors while calculating the award in this case on the anvil of evidence produced before it. Thus, the judgment dated 04.01.2003 does not call for any interference of this Court.
5. Learned counsel, however, are not in a position to controvert the submissions made by counsel for the appellant claimant with respect to re-computation of the award in the present case in the light of the judgment delivered by this Court