PREVENT ACCIDENT FOUNDATION

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CHENNAI: In what could be the highest settlement sum in India, a compensation of Rs 60 lakh was awarded to the parents of a road accident victim at the Lok Adalat conducted by the TN State Legal Services Authority, on June 2, 2009.

Madras High Court Chief Justice HL Gokhale presented the cheques, one for Rs. 40 lakh drawn in favour of mother Bhuvaneshwari and the other for Rs 20 lakh to the father BV Sharma of the victim, a software engineer, who worked in a firm in the United States, at his chambers on Monday.

Though the parents, residents of Thambusamy Road in Kilpauk, had claimed Rs 2.5 crore for the death of their 31-year-old son BV Kesav Sarma, the Tata AIG General Insurance Company offered to settle the issue at Rs 60 lakh, for which the parents agreed across the negotiating table at the Lok Adalat held by the Legal Services Authority on June 2 last. Kesav Sharma, who had turned an Australian citizen, went on to work with Answerthink Inc., Miami, Florida, USA, as its manager.

He was a bachelor at the time of his death. Kesav, who was on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala, was killed on the spot, when the Maruti Zen car in which he was returning turned turtle near Ulundurpet in Villupuram district on January 11, 2008.

He was drawing a salary of Rs. 4 lakh per month. Contending that the accident occurred only due to the rash and negligence driving of the car driver, car owner K Ravi of Nandanam and the insurance company, being the insurer of the car, were jointly and severally liable to pay the compensation of Rs 2.5 crore, petitioners had claimed.

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