It often takes years for the courts to give final ruling in cases but in a rare event, the Madras High Court apologized to a woman who had been fighting a legal case for 24 years to get compensations for the death of her son in 1993, reported The Times of India.
“This accident had taken place in May 1993. It is little over 24 years now and this mother is not compensated yet. She still awaits her remedy. And, whatever remedy that has been provided to her by the tribunal may have been possibly delayed further due to the pendency of this appeal...The insurance company which objects to passing of the award on a point of maintainability of the claim before this court is yet to part with its money. It reflects an attempt to write off the life of a citizen and the support he could have given to his parent as valueless,” said Justice Seshasayee, reported TOI.
The court rejected an appeal filed by a public sector insurance company against providing a compensation of Rs. 3.4 lakh for an accident. The woman, Bakkaiam, has been awaiting compensation for the death of her son, a lorry driver who died after being hit by a bus owned by the state government.
Bakkiam had first filed for compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, which is mostly used in cases of industrial accidents. This petition was rejected and later she had to file a fresh appeal at Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal for a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh. The National Insurance Company Limited, insurer of the lorry filed a petition stating that her new appeal was not maintainable. The tribunal rejected insurance company’s appeal and asked the employer and state corporation to pay in equal proportion.
After this, she approached the Madras High Court. The court noted that no compensation was paid to Bakkiam till now and her first plea was rejected on the basis of suspected identity of the victim who died in the accident, reported TOI.