Sugarcane cutter who lost a leg in accident awarded Rs 39 lakh compensation

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has ordered a car driver and an insurance company to jointly pay over Rs 38.93 lakhs with 6% interest to Prakash Rathod (24), a sugarcane-cutting labourer from Arola in Kannad taluka. Rathod lost his leg in a collision between his motorcycle and a car, and the Tribunal ruled that the crash occurred due to the car driver’s negligence.

How the accident happened

On 16 December 2021, Rathod was riding from Arola towards Sangamner on the Mumbai–Nagpur Highway when a speeding car from the opposite lane crossed over and hit his motorcycle. The impact left him critically injured, and doctors later amputated his right leg above the knee. He suffered 80% permanent disability and lost his earning capacity. Rathod filed a compensation claim through advocates M.M. Pardeshi and Mangesh Sarode. The insurance company denied liability, arguing that the car driver did not have a valid licence and had violated policy conditions.

Tribunal’s findings

The Tribunal examined three witnesses and assessed Rathod’s income as Rs 11,625 per month, considering him an unskilled worker. Although his medical disability was 80%, the court held that he suffered 100% functional disability, making him unfit for work. The Tribunal then directed the driver and the insurer to pay the compensation accordingly.