Research › Search › Judgment

Allahabad High Court · body

2025 DAILYLAW 38103 (ALL)

ORIENTAL INSURANCE CO. LTD. v. UMESH KUMAR JAISWAL AND OTHERS

FAFO/1250/2012 · 2025-05-19

Saral Srivastava

body2025

Judgment text

Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.

Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:84904 Court No. - 2 Case :- FIRST APPEAL FROM ORDER No. - 1250 of 2012 Appellant :- Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. Respondent :- Umesh Kumar Jaiswal And Others Counsel for Appellant :- Amaresh Sinha Hon'ble Saral Srivastava,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the appellant-insurance company. 2. The appellant-insurance company has preferred the present appeal challenging the award dated 17.12.2011 passed by the MACT/Additional District Judge (ECP), Sonebhadra in MACT Case No.231 of 2007, whereby the Tribunal has awarded Rs.4,68,450/- along with 6% interest as compensation to the claimant/respondent for the injuries suffered by him in an accident on 22.05.2007 with tractor No.UP64J/1299. 3. Challenging the award, learned counsel for the appellant has contended that the driver of the tractor was holding the driving license to drive the light motor vehicles at the time of accident and thus, he was not authorized to drive the tractor. Accordingly, it is submitted that the owner of the tractor has committed breach of insurance policy and the Tribunal has erred in law in fastening the liability upon the appellant-insurance company to pay the compensation. It is further contended that it is a case of collision of two vehicles coming from opposite directions and the claimant- respondent was riding of the motorcycle and the manner in which the accident had taken place establishes that there was some negligence of the claimant-respondent in the accident and thus, the Tribunal should have reduced the compensation to the extent of negligence of the claimant-respondent in the accident. 4. Be that as it may, the Apex Court in the case of M.S. Bhati Vs. National Insurance Company Ltd. (2019) 0 SCC 1427 has held that a person holding the driving license to drive the light motor vehicles is authorized to drive the tractor and there is no breach of insurance policy committed by the owner. Thus, this Court finds that the finding of the Tribunal on the issue of driving license is based upon proper appreciation of law. 5. This Court has already in First Appeal From Order No.1317 of 2012 held that the accident was result of sole negligence of the driver of the tractor and therefore, the contention of learned counsel for the appellant with regard to contributory negligence of rider of motorcycle is misconceived and not sustainable. 6. Thus for the reasons given above, the appeal lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed. Order Date :- 20.5.2025 SSharma Digitally signed by :- SUNIL KUMAR SHARMA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad