States » NorthPosted at: Oct 23 2026 2:49PM

Srinagar tribunal awards Rs 58.50 lakh to family of engineer killed in 2013 Ramban accident

Srinagar, Oct 23 (UNI) The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Srinagar, has awarded Rs 58.50 lakh in compensation to the family of an engineer who died in a road accident in Ramban in 2013, holding that his legal heirs were entitled to pursue the claim even though he was driving his own insured vehicle.
In an award on October 21, the District & Sessions Judge Presiding Officer, MACT, Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi, directed Oriental Insurance Company Ltd to pay Rs 58,50,282, along with interest at 9 per cent per annum from May 5, 2015, the date the compensation petition was instituted, until the amount is realised.
The tribunal further directed that if the compensation is not paid within 30 days, the amount due would carry interest at 12 per cent per annum after the expiry of the stipulated period.
The case concerns Syed Javed Nazir, a 41-year-old engineer associated with the Baglihar Hydel Project, who died on July 30, 2013, after his Hyundai Santro car plunged into a deep gorge near Digdol on the Srinagar–Chanderkot highway in Ramban district.
His wife, two minor daughters, and parents subsequently approached the tribunal seeking compensation. The family had initially claimed Rs 53 lakh, including Rs 3 lakh for damage to the vehicle.
A key issue before the tribunal was whether the deceased’s family could claim compensation when the deceased himself owned and drove the insured car.
The insurance company contested the claim, raising objections concerning liability and the applicability of the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Rejecting the insurer’s challenge, the tribunal held that the claim was maintainable under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, after examining the evidence and the applicable legal principles.
The tribunal found that the vehicle had gone out of control and plunged into the gorge, and that the evidence did not establish negligence on the part of the deceased. It also found that the car was insured and that the deceased held a valid driving licence at the time of the accident.
The award emphasised that compensation claims arising from motor accidents must be assessed in accordance with the law and the principle of just compensation, rather than being rejected on a narrow technical interpretation of the relationship between the insured vehicle owner and the insurer.
The tribunal also considered the family’s entitlement to compensation for the loss of the engineer’s income and support. The final award includes the adjustment of Rs 2 lakh payable under the personal accident cover against the total compensation.
The claim, instituted in May 2015, was decided more than 11 years after its filing and over 13 years after the fatal accident.
The award directed Oriental Insurance Company Ltd to comply with the payment order within the stipulated 30-day period.
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