Udupi, Feb 26: The consumer court here has ruled that no insurance amount is payable if the vehicle which met with the accident was not driven by a person having a valid driving licence. It held that the insurance company is not liable to disburse personal accident insurance if the person's driving licence was not valid at the time of the accident.
Chandrashekhar Shetty (48) from Kalthodu village, Byndoor, was driving his car on May 25, 2019, when his car hit a roadside tree near Golihole as a wild boar suddenly crossed his path. Shetty, who had suffered grievous injuries, had died on the spot.
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The car was insured with Royal Sundaram Insurance company. Legal heirs of the deceased had filed a claim for personal insurance amount of Rs 15 lac. The company had rejected the claim on the basis that the deceased did not have a valid driving licence at the time of the accident.
Shetty's wife and children then filed a complaint in Udupi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (consumer court), seeking directions to the insurance company to disburse personal accident insurance claim amount along with costs. The consumer court found that the driving licence of the deceased had been renewed till January 1, 2016, and he was not in possession of a valid driving licence at the time of the accident. The advocates of the insurance firm also relied on this argument during the hearing. The court upheld this argument and said that the insurance company is not liable to pay compensation as the deceased did not have a valid driving licence.
H Anand Madiwala had argued the case on behalf of the insurance company.