Pune: Now, accident victims to get their claims faster

With this new practice, victims of accidents won't have to run around to gather the necessary documents. Representation pic

Accident victims who have suffered permanent disability will now get their disability certificates and claims settled in time without having to go from pillar to post.


With this new practice, victims of accidents won't have to run around to gather the necessary documents. Representation pic

The Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) and District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) have decided to appoint a 'court commissioner', who will personally meet the surgeons and record their statements.

This new practice will save the time and energy of leading surgeons and the judiciary, apart from giving relief to the accident victims or their kin.

There are more than 10 tribunals under MACT in Pune and, every day on an average, 20 cases are scheduled for hearing.

Many times, the insurance companies question the validity of the certificate issued by doctors about the permanent disability suffered by the victim.

So, to rule out any ambiguity, surgeons are summoned and their statements are recorded in court, which usually takes about an hour's time.

In many cases, surgeons hesitate to give permanent disability certificates to patients to avoid further legal processes.

This hesitation on part of surgeons will be addressed after the appointment of court commissioners, and a panel of leading advocates and surgeons will be formed.

Rishikesh Ganu, an advocate from MACT, said, "To ensure that more number of claims is settled in the MACT, we need to reduce the time taken to complete procedures like recording the statement of doctors.

This can be done by appointing court commissioners, who are experienced lawyers who will record the statement of the doctor on behalf of the court."