Motor accident tribunal asks BEST to pay Rs31,000 to biker

The Motor accident claims tribunal recently awarded a compensation of Rs 26,000 to a 31-year-old police driver who suffered injury in a road accident involving a BEST bus 10 years ago. The tribunal directed the transport undertaking to pay the amount along with 7.5 per cent interest.

On December 14, 2005, police staffer Vilas Sutar, who was heading for Vile Parle on a bike, was hit by a BEST bus. Sutar claimed that the bus was being driven in a rash manner and the driver took a sudden left turn without giving any signal. Sutar told the tribunal that the mishap left him injured and he had spend nearly 10,000 towards his treatment. Sutar sustained blunt injuries on his ankle elbow knee and hands.

The tribunal after going through the complaint copy, asked the transport firm to file its reply, to which the firm claimed that application was misconceived, untenable, unsustainable. "At the material time of accident the bus was proceeding in a moderate speed in same direction in which applicant was traveling. Bus was about to take left turn from signal but applicant tried to overtake the bus and tried to move hurriedly from left side of the bus in rash and negligent manner and in that efforts motorcycle came in contact with BEST bus as applicant could not maneuver his motorcycle because of his speed. Rather accident has took place due to rash and negligent act of applicant himself. Thus Sutar is not liable to pay compensation to him," claimed BEST.

The Tribunal, however, held that after going through the evidence it was clear from the medical reports that the applicant did sustain injuries because of rash driving of the BEST bus, thus penalized the bus undertaking.