Consumer Forum directs insurance company to pay Rs 1.5 lac

The District Consumer Redressal Forum today directed an insurance company to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the complainant in a case where the company rejected the claim, citing technical reasons.
In their order delivered today, president of the forum Umesh Jhavalikar and member N D Kadam ordered insurance company Future Generali India to pay Ashok Kesav Pandit of Shahapur town of the district Rs 1.5 lakh, whose car was damaged in an accident in September, 2009, which was carrying two passengers, who died in the incident.
Pandit's driver, on the day was returning from Kankawli to Mumbai and had offered lift to two persons and also charged them, but the car met an accident on the way.

The company argued that since it was private car, the owner used it as a passenger vehicle, which is a violation of insurance norms.
The forum, in its order, however, citing a Supreme Court ruling said the company is bound to give 75 per cent of the claim, as per the apex court's ruling.
The forum also directed the company to pay Rs 25,000 as amount spent by the complainant as legal expenses.