Accident tribunal rejects claim of cop, dismisses medicine bills

A city Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has dismissed the compensation claim of a police constable who had met with an accident with a taxi near Mantralaya, stating that mere production of medicine bills was not sufficient.

Sunil Tibe, the cop, was on a motorcycle with another constable, chasing a vehicle as it had not stopped during a checking on 15 March 2014 at around 11 pm. The taxi had hit their bike and he had sustained a fracture in his right leg. Tibe claimed that he had undergone a surgery and the treatment cost him about Rs 2.5 lakh. He claimed Rs 3.5 lakhs in compensation.

Tibe said he had lost out on promotions as he was on leave for 12 months due to the injury and could not perform the duty. Tribunal’s presiding member Vilas Kadam said in his judgment that while some medicine bills and interim bills issued by Bombay Hospital, where he was treated, are on record, they are not properly proved by calling any witness from the hospital, nor the prescription issued to purchase those medicines produced.

Further, though Tibe deposed that he was admitted six times in the hospital, he has not examined any treating doctor or any person from the treating hospital nor produced any admission or discharge card issued by the hospital.

An orthopaedic, who had issued a disability certificate stating that Tibe suffered 35 per cent permanent partial disability, had deposed. The Tribunal said that his sole testimony does not inspire confidence and that, “In the absence of any document from the treating hospital, no one can dare to say that the applicant has actually received the injury.”