A consumer forum in Narmada district in Gujarat ordered an insurance company to pay Rs 15 lakh in death claim to the family of a man who died in a road accident after rejecting the firm’s argument that the victim’s vehicle registration had expired.

Dinesh Baria, a resident of Narmada district, died of grievous injuries after a truck hit his bike in March last year.

Baria had a personal accidental insurance cover of Rs 15 lakh. When his family filed the claim with Go Digit General Insurance Company last year, the firm rejected it because Baria’s bike registration had expired in August 2021.

Baria’s family moved to the Narmada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in August 2023.

After going through all the documents during the trial, the consumer forum observed that according to the FIR filed in the case, it appears that the accident occurred due to the mistake of the truck driver and, that, there was no negligence on the part of the victim.
The forum also noted that the insurance firm sold the policy to Baria for the period between April 2022 and April 2023, despite his vehicle’s registration expiring in August 2021. The insurer, thus, cannot argue that the vehicle’s registration of the victim had expired, the forum noted.
The forum ordered the firm to pay Rs 15 lakh to the complainant with 7% interest. The firm was also ordered to pay Rs 3,000 for mental harassment and legal costs to the complainant.