SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2014 Supreme(All) 1782

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : TARUN AGARWALA AND DR. SATISH CHANDRA, JJ.
NEW INDIA ASSUARANCE COMPANY LTD., ALLAHABAD …Appellant
Versus
Smt. POONAM TRIPATHI AND OTHERS ….Respondents
(First Appeal From Order No. 34 of 2002, decided on 1st December, 2014)

Advocates:
Counsel :
Ashok Kumar Srivastava and Saurabh Srivastava for the Appellant; B.K. Tripathi, A.P. Tiwari, P.K. Tripathi, R.P. Dubey, S.S. Tripathi and Satish Chaturvedi for the Respondents.

Headnote:Motor Vehicles Act, 1988—Sections 149(1), 147(3) and 147(1)—Insurance Company—Liability of—Starts from date premium was paid to insurance agent and not from date it was received by Insurance Company—In this case, insurance agent received premium of insurance on 12.10.1994—But proposal form was made on 17.10.1994 and cover note was also issued on 17.10.1994—Accident resulting in death took place on 16.10.1994—Tribunal rightly fastened liability on Insurance Company. [Paras 5 to 7]

       Result; Appeal Dismissed.

JUDGMENT

By the Court.—Heard Sri Saurabh Srivastava, learned counsel for the appellant and Sri R.P. Dubey, learned counsel for the claimant.

2. List has been revised.

3. Other counsel appearing for the other private parties are not present.

4. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, after considering the material available on record allowed the claim application and granted compensation of Rs. 5,01,600/- alongwith interest @ 9% p.a. to the claimants.

5. The brief facts are that, the deceased was traveling on a motor cycle which rammed into a tractor trolley which was insured by the appellant. The sole contention before this Court is, that the accident had occurred on 16.10.1994 and the proposal form was made on 17.10.1994. The cash towards premium was received on 17.10.1994 and the cover note was also issued on 17.10.1994 and accordingly the appellant was not liable to pay any compensation since the vehicle was not insured on the date of the accident i.e. 16.10.1994.

6. We find from the award of the Tribunal on Issue No. 6 and 10 that the agent of the insurance company had taken the premium from the owner of the the tractor trolley on 12.10.1994. We are of the opinion that since this fact has not been disputed by the appellant, the coverage of the insurance will start from 12.10.1994 and not from the date when the proposal form and cover note was issued on 17.10.1994. We also find that in the case of Bhal Nalkantha Khadi v. Jayantilal and others, 1995 LS 485 (Guj.) the proposal of the insurance coverage was made on 7.8.1984 which was accompanied by a bank draft of that very date but the policy was issued on 13.8.1984, the accident had occurred on 8.8.1994. The Division Bench of the Gujrat High Court held that since the bank draft was made on 7.8.1984, the cover policy would start from that date. Similar view was held in T. Dinakar v. P J Jagadish, 1997 LS 198 (Kar.).

7. In the light of the aforesaid judgments and in view of the fact that the appellant’s agent had accepted the premium on 11.10.1994 which has not been disputed in the case, the coverage of the tractor trolley started from that date itself. In the light of the aforesaid, the insurance company was liable to pay the compensation. The appeal fails and is dismissed. The Registry is directed to remit the amount deposited before this Court before the Tribunal concerned within two weeks from today. The Tribunal is also directed to release the amount forthwith.

—————



Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top