PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has taken serious note of the rising accidents and fatalities over the past four years while dubbing the situation as ' extremely depressing.' The Division Bench, comprising Justice M S Sonak and Valmiki Menezes, insisted on compensation to both the dependents of deceased victims and those who have survived with injuries, particularly facing permanent disabilities.
The High Court was referring to an uptick in accident-related deaths, surging from 223 in 2020 to 276 in 2023 alongside a spike in accidents from 2375 to 2832 during the same period.
“For a small state like Goa, having a population of approximately 1.6 million, the statistics present an extremely depressing picture. The human life that is lost due to road accidents is invaluable and can never be compensated in terms of money. Nevertheless, it is necessary that some provisions are made for the dependents so that they receive just compensation. Even the victims of road accidents who may have survived with injuries (often with permanent disabilities) deserve just compensation to help them pull on for the remainder of their scared lives,” the Bench observed while hearing a writ petition.
The observations serve as a stark reminder of several horrific accidents that Goa witnessed in the recent past including the Banastarim mishap, where three persons lost their lives on the spot, while three others sustained injuries, with 1-2 enduring permanent disabilities.
This year saw over 30 fatal accidents killing over 50 persons so far. The accidents at Arambol and Curtorim that claimed the lives of two cousins and two friends respectively; and in another where a casino employee was flung into the River from the Mandovi bridge after a rental car collided with his bike continue to be a topic of discussion.
Meanwhile, the Court also empathized with all the accident victims and their families while noting the challenges in claiming compensation when uninsured vehicles cause accidents. It was expressed that even after Tribunals determine the compensation owed, the process of recovery can be exceedingly difficult and time-consuming, if not impossible.
“The victims of road accidents and their dependents then suffer due to injuries suffered by them or the loss of their near and dear ones. As if the tragedy were not enough, they do not even get some ‘just compensation’, in any case, within a reasonable time,” the Bench lamented.
