A Delhi Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has ordered National Insurance Company Ltd to pay ₹2.55 crore to Reena, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who lost her left leg after a truck hit the scooter on which she was travelling at Peeragarhi Chowk in November 2024. The amount will carry nine per cent annual interest from 22 February 2025 and must be paid within 30 days, according to the tribunal order reported by Live Hindustan – NCR.
Presiding officer Gunjan Gupta was hearing Reena’s claim petition arising from the crash on 5 November 2024. Reena was travelling as a pillion rider with her two-year-old son when a truck collided with the scooter. One of the truck’s wheels ran over her left leg, which later had to be amputated. She underwent three surgeries following the accident.
The tribunal assessed her functional disability at 100 per cent, although her physical disability in the left leg had been certified at 80 per cent. The order cited the impact of the injury on her ability to work and noted that she had been forced to shut her business. It also recorded that the condition left her with no reasonable prospect of returning to the life she had led before the accident.
The compensation includes ₹1.68 crore for the loss of future earning capacity, which was the largest component of the award. The tribunal assessed Reena’s monthly income at ₹58,915, including ₹6,000 for her contribution as a homemaker, while also taking into account that she has three children between two and four years old.
National Insurance Company Ltd had argued that the scooter rider was responsible and that Reena was not wearing a helmet. The tribunal rejected those arguments. It relied on Reena’s testimony that the truck had been driven negligently and at excessive speed, noting that her account had not been contradicted. The truck driver and owner, Mahinder Singh, did not appear before the tribunal, leading to an adverse finding against him.
The tribunal also referred to a recent Supreme Court ruling while determining the income and compensation. It held that a medical-expense claim could not be rejected solely because the claimant did not have bills. The order further stated that a person found responsible for an accident could not benefit from the victim’s mediclaim policy.
The award covers compensation under several heads, including loss of earning capacity, medical treatment and the long-term consequences of the amputation. The insurer has been directed to deposit the total amount within 30 days, along with the applicable interest from 22 February 2025.
