Summary: A court case about a car crash in Tirunelveli was decided by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. The case focused on a crash involving a Maruti Zen and a Scorpio. The court decided on compensation for the victims, changed interest rates, and figured out who was responsible.
On October 24, 2010, a tragic car crash happened near Madapuram. Jebaraj was driving a Maruti Zen from Thanjavur to Tirunelveli after a wedding. The car crashed into a Scorpio driven by Andipillai, who was carrying a Member of Parliament. The crash led to the deaths of Jebaraj and the car owner, David Ponraj, and injuries to others.
At first, the police blamed Jebaraj, the driver of the Maruti Zen who died. But witnesses said the Scorpio was being driven recklessly. The court found that the Scorpio was on the wrong side of the road, making it responsible for the crash.
"The driver of the Scorpio vehicle alone is responsible for the accident."
The families of the victims and the injured people asked for money as compensation:
The court gave different amounts, with the highest being ₹15,40,000 for David Ponraj’s family.
Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company and New India Assurance Company were involved. They argued that the Maruti Zen driver was to blame. The court, however, disagreed and held the Scorpio's driver responsible.
Justice R. Poornima was in charge of the case. The court decided to lower the interest rate on the compensation from 8% to 7.5% because it seemed more fair.
"This Court feels that 7.5% interest is moderate."
The court ordered the insurance companies to pay the adjusted compensation amounts within four weeks. Anburaj Joseph's compensation was increased to ₹3,38,000.
