IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Anoop Kumar Dhand, J.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd., through its Constituent Attorney - Appellant
Versus
Pooran Mal S/o Shri Babulal - Respondent
S.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No. 2194/2010
Decided On : 24-05-2022
Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 – Section 30 – Compensation – Appeal has been preferred by appellant-Insurance Company under Section under Section 30 of Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 against impugned judgment and award passed by Court of Learned Commissioner Workmen’s Compensation Act, District-II in case by which claim petition filed by claimant respondent was allowed and appellant Insurance Company was directed to pay a compensation to claimant respondent – Held, In opinion of this Court, matter requires reconsideration by learned Commissioner with a direction to claimant to get a fresh disability certificate from a Government Hospital in view of judgment of this Court in case of (supra) – Thus, impugned judgment passed by learned Commissioner is quashed and set aside – Matter is remanded to learned Commissioner for fresh adjudication with a direction that disbursement of any amount of compensation shall be dependent on fresh assessment of permanent disability of claimant from a duly constituted Medical Board of a Government Hospital and further payment of interim compensation, if already made, shall be subject to final outcome of matter – Appeal disposed of.
JUDGMENT :
1. Instant appeal has been preferred by the appellant-Insurance Company under Section under Section 30 of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 (for short ‘the Act of 1923’) against the impugned judgment and award dated 30.07.2010 passed by the Court of Learned Commissioner Workmen’s Compensation Act, Jaipur District-II [for short ‘the learned Commissioner’] in case No. WCC/NF/434/2008 by which the claim petition filed by the claimant respondent was allowed and the appellant Insurance Company was directed to pay a compensation of Rs. 2,90,390/- to the claimant respondent.
2. Learned counsel for the appellant-Insurance Company submitted that without any basis the income of the claimant was determined by the learned Commissioner on the higher side while as per the statement of brother of the claimant NAW-1 which was recorded by the Instructor which clearly indicates that the claimant was receiving a salary of Rs. 2,000/- per month only and this fact was overlooked by the learned Commissioner while passing the impugned judgment. Counsel further submitted that the learned Commissioner has placed reliance on a permanent disability certificate issued by the Dhanwantri Hospital and Research centre, Mansarovar, Jaipur which indicates that the injured claimant has sustained 50.35% permanent disability while as per the medical record of the claimant, he has sustained amputation of three fingers only, so in any case the amputation of three fingers cannot be treated as 50.35% permanent disability. Counsel for the Insurance Company submitted that this Court while deciding a matter in the case of United India Insurance Co. Ltd. Vs. Vishnu and Ors. in SB Civil Misc. Appeal Nos. 6639, 6825 & 6112 of 2011 has held that a racket of hospitals are going on in the city for issuing bogus disability certificates on the basis of which disability of the claimants are assessed. Counsel further submitted that large number of cases were remanded to the learned Commissioner for fresh assessment of permanent disability of the claimants from a duly constituted Medical Board of a Government Hospital. Counsel for the appellant Insurance Company further submitted that under the facts and circumstances of the case, the matter requires reconsideration, so the matter be remitted back to the learned Commissioner for fresh adjudication.
3. Per contra, learned counsel for the claimant-respondent opposed the arguments raised by the counsel for the Insurance Company and submitted that the Instructor of the Insurance Company was not produced in the witness box, hence, the learned Commissioner has rightly assessed the income of the claimant as Rs. 4,000/-on the basis of evidence produced by the claimant. Counsel further submitted that the disability certificate issued by the Dhanwantri Hospital and Research Centre, Mansarovar, Jaipur is a genuine certificate and no doubt can be raised on its genuineness. Lastly, counsel for the claimant-respondent argued that no illegality has been committed by the learned Commissioner in allowing the claim petition filed by the claimant respondent.
4. Heard. Considered the arguments raised by counsel appearing for the parties and perused the documents available on the record.
5. Perusal of the record indicates that there are contradictory evidence available on the record with regard to income/salary of the claimant-respondent. As per the statement of brother of the claimant himself, he used to give salary of Rs. 2,000/-per month to the claimant and the signature of the brother of the claimant was admitted by the claimant in his statement recorded before the learned Commissioner. But overlooking this aspect, the learned Commissioner has assessed the income of the claimant as Rs. 4,000/-per month. So far as the argument raised by the counsel for the appellant with regard to the genuineness of the disability certificate Ex.6 is concerned, the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of Vishnu (supra) has held as under:-
“In s
SupremeToday
The court clarified that accurate assessment of medical evidence regarding disability is critical for determining just compensation in motor accident claims, emphasizing a higher level of disability ....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the need for uniformity in the assessment of disabilities in motor accident cases and the prevention of unscrupulous practices by doctors issuing d....
The judgment emphasizes the need for proper medical assessment and the caution required in accepting medical evidence, especially disability certificates, in personal injury cases.
Permanent disability assessment must consider all medical evidence presented, irrespective of its source.
The court emphasized the limited jurisdiction of the High Court under Section 30 of the Act to substantial questions of law only, and the findings of fact made by the Commissioner.
A non speaking order passed without application of mind cannot be sustained.In case of permanent disability the compensation hould be adequate not only for the physical injury and treatment, but also....
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.