NIC ordered to pay claims, with interest and litigation costs

Akola, Oct 7 (UNI) The National Insurance Company (NIC) has been directed to pay claims of Rs five lakhs and Rs one lakh to a widow, a resident of Akola, who lost her husband in an accident.

The husband of the complainant, Mr Haridas Bhattad, was working as an engineer in the planning department of the district collectorate. He met with an accident on February six 2003, sustaining serious head injuries. Medical treatment at various hospitals proved futile, and he succumbed to his injuries on the 18th of September 2003.

The deceased had taken two JPA policies, one of Rs five lakh and the other of Rs one lakh from NIC.

When the widow of the deceased, Mrs Vimla Haridas Bhattad staked her claim with NIC, the company rejected both the claims with the observation, ''Weakness on the right side with no recovery in the memory of the deceased, it comes under mental disability which is not covered under JPA Policy.'' While delivering it's judgement, the Akola District Consumer Grievences Redressal Forum, headed by Mrs Rohini D Kundle also directed the divisional manager of NIC to pay one per cent interest per annum on the amount of the insurance claim, from the date of rejection of the claim, till the date of judgement.

The district forum also asked the NIC to pay Rs 1,000 as litigation cost to Mrs Vimla Haridas Bhattad. The insurance claims and litigation costs have got to be paid within a month from the date of receipt of the copy of the judgement.

UNI XR WD BDP DS1155