Mumbai: MACT Awards ₹88.45 Lakh To Family Of Dell Professional Killed In Expressway Crash, Holds Him 70 Per Cent Negligent

Mumbai, October 31, 2026: The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Mumbai, has awarded ₹88.45 lakh in compensation to the mother and two minor sons of a software professional working with Dell International Services India Pvt. Ltd., who died in a collision on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in December 2018.

The tribunal, however, held the deceased driver 70 per cent responsible for the accident and attributed the remaining 30 per cent negligence to the truck driver.

Visit saltysenoritaaz.com for more information.

The tribunal, presided over by Gauri Kawdikar, directed the truck's driver, owner, employer and insurer to jointly and severally pay the compensation, along with interest at nine per cent per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition in April 2019 until realisation.

It also allowed the insurance company to recover the amount from the truck owner after making the payment to the claimants.

Tribunal Attributes 70% Negligence To Deceased

“Taking into consideration the damage caused to the front half of the WagonR as reflected from the photographs, it is clear that the WagonR was being driven at high speed and therefore could not brake in time and rammed into the truck. It is not the story of the claimant that some behind the car of her son rammed into the car which rammed into the truck,” the order copy reads.

The accident took place at around 5.30 am on December 23, 2018, near New Panvel. Ankit Bhupinder Singh Chugh, then 34, was driving a WagonR carrying his wife and their two young children when it collided with a truck bearing a Rajasthan registration number. Chugh and his wife were taken to a rural hospital in Panvel, where they were declared dead on arrival. Their two children survived.

The claimants had alleged that the truck driver applied the brakes suddenly, causing the car to crash into the heavy vehicle. They also claimed that the car was dragged for about a kilometre. An FIR was registered by the New Panvel police against the truck driver.

Tribunal Relies On Police Records

The insurer, National Insurance Company, disputed the claim and argued that the accident had occurred solely because of the negligence of the car driver. It also questioned the deceased's income and occupation and alleged a breach of the insurance policy by the truck owner.

While examining the circumstances, the tribunal relied on the police records, including the FIR and spot panchnama, as well as photographs showing extensive damage to the front portion of the WagonR. It observed that a driver must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and keep the speed under control.

The tribunal held that although the truck driver's conduct contributed to the accident, the deceased could have avoided the collision had he maintained sufficient distance and driven at a speed that allowed him to brake in time. It consequently fixed the deceased's contributory negligence at 70 per cent and the truck driver's negligence at 30 per cent.

Mother And Two Sons To Receive Compensation

On the question of compensation, the tribunal considered Chugh's employment with Dell International Services India Pvt. Ltd. A company representative told the tribunal that he had joined in June 2015 as a permanent employee and was working as a Senior Delivery Specialist. His annual gross salary at the time of appointment was recorded as ₹15.79 lakh.

After deducting 70 per cent towards the deceased's share of responsibility for the accident, the tribunal arrived at the payable compensation of ₹88.45 lakh.

Also Watch:

Mumbai: MACT Orders Road Contractor To Pay BEST ₹22,641 For Damaging Street-Lighting Installation

Under the award, the deceased's mother, Pooja Bhupinder Chugh, is to receive ₹6.45 lakh, while his two minor sons are each entitled to ₹41 lakh. The tribunal directed that the children's respective shares be deposited in fixed deposits with a nationalised bank until they attain majority.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Read full story at source