High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
K.L. Pandey and N.M. Golvalker, JJ.
British India General Insurance Co. Ltd.
Versus
Seth Ramnath
First Appeal 146 of 1956 Of
Decided On : Jan 14,1960
( 1. ) THIS appeal arises out of an action for damages amounting to Rs. 30,000/-for personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff as well as for the injury caused to this motor bicycle No. CPB 1114 in consequence of rash and negligent driving by the defendant 2 of a station wagon No. CPJ 1585 belonging to the defendant l, who equivalent Citation: had insured it with the defendant 3 against third party risks. The lower Court accepted the claim in part and passed a decree for Rs. 15,250/- against the defendants 2 and a. The defendant 3 has filed this appeal challenging the decree passed against it. The plaintiff has also filed Civil Appeal No, 192 of 1956 for being relieved of the liability to pay costs Rs. 811/11/- to the defendant 1 and a cross-objection claiming the amount disallowed by the lower Court namely Rs. 14,750/ -. He has relied upon Order 41, Rule 33, Civil Procedure Code, for securing a decree for the full claim against the defendant 1. This Judgment will govern the two appeals and the cross-objection. 2 The plaintiffs case, briefly stated, was this. At about mid-day on 11th september, 1951, while the plaintiff was travelling on his motor bicycle towards the east along the correct side of the main east-west road from the Civil Court at seoni to the Seoni town, the defendant 2, who was driving the Station wagon belonging to the defendant 1 from the opposite direction, took at the crossing near the Tahsil office a sharp and sudden north-ward turn towards that office. In driving the station wagon in the manner he did, the defendant 2 acted rashly and negligently in that, while the station wagon was moving at a great speed, he took a sharp and sudden turn from the wrong side of the road without giving any warning. The consequence was that the station wagon dashed against the plaintiffs motor bicycle, which was thereby thrown away. The plaintiff also was thrown off and he sustained a compound fracture in his right leg. Despite repeated operations, the fractured bone did not unite even till the date of the suit and it was feared that the plaintiff might be permanently deprived of the usual use of his right leg. Accordingly he claimed Rs. 30,000/-out of the damages detailed as follows: (i) Rs. 12,093on account of 9-0 expenses of medical treatment detailed in schedule A. (ii) Rs. 10,000on account of loss of 0-0 business. (iii) Rs. 15,000on account of 0-0 permanent injury to the right leg, mental shock and bodily pain. (iv) Rs. 250on account of damage 0-0 caused to the motor bicycle. 3 According to the plaintiff, the defendant 2 was also liable for the claim because he was driving the station wagon with the permission and authority of the defendant 1 and the injuries were caused to the plaintiff while the defendant 2 was acting within the scope of his authority. The defendant 3 was impleaded in order to remove all doubts about the extent of, and the circumstances relating to, its liability for the claim. 4 The defendants 1 and 2 denied that, at the material time, the defendant 2 was driving the station wagon rashly or negligently in the manner alleged or that. It dashed against the plaintiffs: motor bicycle or that the plaintiff sustained injuries in consequence. According to them, the plaintiff himself drove his motor bicycle rashly and negligently and dashed against the station wagon. The defendant 2 particularly pleaded that, while he was taking the station wagon along the road towards the north, which "branched off from the main east-west road, the plaintiff, who had swerved his motor bicycle to his extreme left of the main east-west road and speeded it in order to save a passer-by, dashed against the station wagon in an endeavour to pass it from the front side and, going further, dashed against a chabutara. Since the plaintiff himself was responsible for the collision which took place, he was disentitled to recover any damages. In any event, his claim must fail for the reason that he himself had contributed ma
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