Mumbai: The South Mumbai consumer district redressal forum has pulled up Oriental insurance company, for denying the claim amount to farmer’s family ,quoting, ‘technical Grounds’. The forum in its order copy has specified that it is an established fact that a technical ground can never be the ground to dispose off the claim amount. The forum was hearing the complaints filed by two different widows in different cases of similar incidents.
Nagpur resident Tarabai Durve and Dhulia Resident, Bhatabai Rajput, lost their husbands in road accidents in 2019. Post the accident, both the complainant’s had subsequently sought for the insurance claim amount, which the Government initially has given to every farmer’s family, under the scheme of Maharashtra farmer’s insurance policy. According to the policy, if any farmer dies an accidental death, then the family is liable for the compensation amount from the insurance company.
After the death, the paper’s were sent to the firm, but the firm rejected the claim on the grounds that the deceased was not holding any vehicle licence. The forum after going through the evidence, and the papers, held that the Maharashtra government has already deposited the insurance amount on behalf of the farmer’s with the insurance firm, under the scheme mentioned above.
The forum, while explaining the aspect of technical grounds, held, “If the complainant does not have the licence of the deceased farmer, and has not given it to the insurance company, it cannot be held as a valid ground to reject the claim.”
The forum, thus holding the insurance firm guilty of not providing proper service to its consumers, asked the firm to pay Rs two lakhs along with six percent interest from the year 2021, as an insurance claim amount. The forum also directed the firm to pay additional Rs 20,000 towards the mental agony and Rs 10,000 towards the litigation charges, subsequently in both the cases.
