Family members of domestic help get Rs 18 lakh compensation

The family of a domestic help, who died after a rashly driven truck hit her in March, has been awarded a compensation of over Rs 18 lakh by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal here.
The tribunal directed Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd, with which the offending truck was insured, to pay Rs 18,46,800 to the husband and five children of Mala Devi.
"In view of the judgements cited and evidence on record, preponderance of probability is that Mala Devi died due to rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle by respondent no. 1 (truck driver)," MACT presiding officer Rekha Rani said.

The victim's husband Dilip Paswan told the tribunal that the accident took place on the morning of March 21 when he was driving his motorcycle with his wife riding pillion and the rashly driven truck hit them in Pitampura area.
He said when they reached near Ekta Camp, the truck, driven by Bishan Mahor, hit his motorcycle.
Due to the impact, he along with his wife fell down on the road and the rear wheel of the truck ran over his wife leading to her death.
Paswan told the tribunal that 37-year-old Mala was working as a maid in various houses here and was earning Rs 12,000 per month.

The tribunal noted that the truck driver had neither filed any written statement nor stepped into witness box to explain the manner in which the accident took place.