NRI doctor gets Rs.14.5 lakh for loss of vision in road mishap

New Delhi: An NRI doctor, who almost went blind following injuries sustained in a road mishap involving two cars in 1995, has been awarded Rs14.55 lakh in compensation by an accident tribunal.

Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal headed by Reena Singh Nag asked the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, insurer of two cars
involved in the accident, to pay the money to victim Saroj Kesar, a UK-based medic, within a month.

The tribunal also held DK Kesar, husband of the victim who is also a doctor, guilty of "contributory negligence" saying both the vehicles were being driven rashly.

The victim's car, driven by her husband, collided with another car, owned by the ITC Ltd, on the Outer Ring Road at Vasant Vihar in south Delhi on the night of February 17, 1995 when she along with two others was returning from a function.

Kesar, whose both eyes got damaged in the mishap, was first treated at Batra Hospital and was later operated upon 10 times at a clinic in London.

According to reports, the victim suffered 75% visual impairment and had demanded Rs1.6 crore compensation on the ground that her flourishing medical career was ruined.

The tribunal also held Ahsaan, the driver of the other car, guilty of rash driving and asked the insurance firm to pay.

"The accident took place in night hour when usually traffic signals go off ... it is required on the part of motorists to drive slow while approaching any crossing or collateral roads," the tribunal said.