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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Sikkim HC orders vehicle insurer to pay compensation to family of labourer who died in road accident
Gangtok, Overturning a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal ruling, the Sikkim High Court directed an insurance company to pay ₹21.89 lakh as compensation to the parents of a labourer who died after the vehicle on which he was travelling met with an accident. Sikkim HC orders vehicle insurer to pay compensation to family of labourer who died in road accident Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan directed United India Insurance Company Ltd to pay the compensation on the ground that the deceased was a workman covered under its policy and not a mere passenger. The appeal was filed by the victim's parents under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, challenging the MACT's ruling, rejecting their compensation claim, stating that the deceased had merely taken a lift and was not covered by the vehicle insurance policy. The accident occurred on April 20, 2023, when the victim was travelling in the vehicle from Rorathang to Bering in East Sikkim. The HC noted that the deceased was hired as a daily wage labourer to unload five bags of sand being transported in the vehicle. The vehicle owner stated that the deceased used to assist in petty work and had boarded the vehicle to unload the sand meant for repairing his house drain, Justice Pradhan said, noting that this was sufficient to prove that the deceased was a workman. The court held that under the Employees' Compensation Act, the term "workman" includes helpers, cleaners, and others engaged in work connected to a motor vehicle. Since the vehicle owner had also paid an additional premium for workmen's liability, the insurance coverage extended to the deceased, Justice Pradhan observed. The HC rejected the insurance company's argument, which relied on an investigator's report claiming that the deceased was a gratuitous passenger because he belonged to the same village as the driver. The HC held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the vehicle's driver, which made the owner vicariously liable. Justice Pradhan noted that ₹21.89 lakh was a "just compensation" with a 9 per cent interest rate from the date of filing the claim petition. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
1 dead, 1 injured after a massive rockfall in Pathanamthitta district
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India] July 8, (ANI): One worker has died and another worker is reported missing after a massive rockfall at a quarry in Payyanamon near Konni, Pathanamthitta district, on Monday. The search for the missing worker is ongoing. Two workers, one from Odisha and the other from Bihar, were operating an excavator when a huge rock fell on top of it on Monday. The Fire Force and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) resumed search operations on Tuesday morning. By the end of Monday, the search operations were stopped owing to adverse weather conditions and another rockfall. Labour Minister V Sivankutty expressed deep sorrow over the death of a worker. The minister's statement said,' The search for one person is ongoing. Additional Labour Commissioner K Sreelal has been instructed to investigate the incident and submit a report. The family of the deceased worker will be provided compensation under the Employees' Compensation Act. The Labour Department will also take steps to repatriate the body.' In a similar incident reported from Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur on Tuesday, a wall collapsed at a local eatery near Bageshwar Dham in Gadha village, leading to the death of at least one person. This incident occurred following heavy rainfall in the area. Speaking to CMHO (Chief Medical and Health Officer), Chhatarpur RP Gupta, he said, 'We have received one body and 10 injured persons at the hospital. This morning, due to heavy rainfall, a wall collapsed at Sharma Dhaba in Bageshwar Dham. Some devotees were injured in this incident and were brought to the hospital, where they are receiving treatment. Our medical team is present here, and all the injured have received first aid following a preliminary diagnosis. Further tests are being conducted on the serious patients, our doctors are treating them and will be referred further if needed,' the CMHO added. Earlier, on July 5, a culvert on a state highway connecting Narsinghpur to Narmadapuram had collapsed due to heavy rainfall over the past few days in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)
