MCD staff loses vision in mishap; gets Rs 30.57 lakh as relief

Presiding Officer of MACT Gurvinder Pal Singh directed IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Co Ltd to pay the amount to petitioner Bali Ram Singh, holding the autorickshaw driver negligent for the accident.

"A driver behind the wheels of a mechanically propelled vehicle is under bounden duty to observe necessary caution for avoiding striking other vehicles, persons and the users of the road ahead.

"Having failed to observe such bounden duty and having struck the motor cycle of the petitioner, causing him grievous injuries on his person, Rohtash (driver of the three-seater rickshaw) was berserk and thus negligent," the court said.
It asked the insurance firm to disburse the amount within 30 days as the auto-rickshaw was insured with it.

While computing the compensation, the court took into account the fact that the 46-year-old victim, who was employed as an assistant supervisor with MCD, became 100 per cent visually handicapped after suffering injuries in his eyes and forehead.

"Petitioner having suffered permanent disability has become visually handicapped and he shall face extreme hardship in doing daily chores. He has suffered loss of amenities of life. Such loss cannot be recompensed in terms of money," the court said.

Among the factors taken into consideration by the court for arriving at the compensation were loss of income, earning capacity, pain and suffering and physical disfigurement.
The victim had suffered grievous injuries, resulting in loss of vision following a collision with the auto-rickshaw, at Nangloi here on April 28 last year.