SC greenlights app for speedy settlement of compensation in road mishaps

The Supreme Court has approved the development of a mobile application for use by victims of road accidents, police, motor accident claims tribunals and insurance companies across India for speedy settlement of claims for compensation.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh was recently told that the insurance companies were ready and willing to develop a centralised mobile application if it is so directed by the court.

The bench was told a group of tech savy youngsters developed a platform that can sub-serve the requirements of insurance companies and if that is required to be tweaked by them for their need, this can also be done.

The application in this regard filed by the General Insurance Corporation sought directions from the court ostensibly for the reason that unless all state police officials and accident tribunals accept the use of it and upload the photo and documents, it would become redundant.

"We really fail to appreciate why the mobile application could not have been developed and at best directions obtained from the court for use by all the concerned stakeholders. The development of the mobile application need not have awaited for directions from the court. Be that as it may, the needful should be done at the earliest now and naturally, there would be cooperation from all the stakeholders qua the application so developed so that the use is effective," the bench said.

Notably, with the development of the app accessible throughout India to victims of road accidents, tribunals, police and insurance companies, the speedy disposal of compensation cases would soon become a reality.

Acting as amicus curiae, advocate M Vijayaraghavan, along with advocate Vipin Nair reiterated the need for a seamless mobile app for assessing MACT claims on a pan India basis.

Senior advocate N L Rajah informed the court that a mobile application was being developed by a team from Chennai. The counsel for General Insurance Corporation also informed that the company would be ready and willing to develop a similar mobile app and would assist in this process.

Noting that the basic groundwork has been done in this regard, the bench said, "We are of the view that arrangements may be made for sharing this application or platform with all the stakeholders and they may respond to it."

The top court was examining a writ petition by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Pvt Ltd. It had earlier issued a slew of directions to facilitate the process of disbursement of compensation to the victims of road mishaps as well as for expediting the matters before the motor accident claims tribunal.

The court also allowed an application for impleadment by a representative body of all 24 General Insurance Companies, all five Standalone Health Insurance Companies, altogether 12 reinsurers, including General Insurance Corporation of India, Foreign Reinsurance Braches (FRBs) and Lloyds India, and specialised insurers, constituted under Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938. It put the matter for further consideration on November 16.

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