# Canter Driver's Family Awarded Over Rs 14.49 Lakh in Fatal Rajasthan Highway Crash as Fake Insurance Shifts Liability to Owner and Driver

> Delhi's Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has ordered over Rs 14.49 lakh in compensation for the family of truck driver Puran Mal, who died in an October 2018 collision in Rajasthan. Finding the offending trailer's insurance policy to be forged, the tribunal exonerated the insurer and directed the registered vehicle owner and driver to jointly satisfy the claim.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Delhi · **Published:** 2026-10-31 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/delhi/rajasthan-men-jana-gnvane-vale-kaintara-chalaka-ke-parijanon-ko-14-49-lakha-rupaye-ka-muavaja-pharji-bima-ke-karana-malika-aura-dr-54082 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** road accident, compensation, MACT, fake insurance, Delhi tribunal, Rajasthan crash, truck driver

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Delhi has awarded an aggregate compensation exceeding Rs 14.49 lakh to the family members of a commercial vehicle driver who lost his life in a severe road accident in Rajasthan in 2018. Presiding Officer Vijay Kumar Jha held that the fatal crash was solely caused by the reckless and high-speed operation of a heavy trailer. In a pivotal legal determination, the tribunal relieved the implicated insurance company of all financial indemnity after uncovering that the vehicle operated under a completely fabricated insurance policy. Consequently, the tribunal placed the entire obligation of paying the compensation jointly and severally upon the offending trailer's driver and its registered owner.

## Midnight Collision Near Saraswati College on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway
The fatal incident took place on October 20, 2018, while the victim, Puran Mal, was driving an Eicher canter truck loaded with commercial consignment from Jaipur toward Delhi. At around 2:00 am, as the canter approached Saraswati College in the vicinity of Manoharpur Pulia, it collided with a speeding trailer. The violent impact inflicted catastrophic bodily injuries on Puran Mal, leading to his instantaneous death at the scene. Following the tragedy, the surviving family members filed a claim petition seeking compensation before the claims tribunal in Delhi.

## Tribunal Holds Trailer Driver Exclusively Culpable for Rash Driving
In a formal judgment delivered on October 28, the tribunal accepted the contention of the claimants that Puran Mal lost his life due to the rash and negligent handling of the trailer. Presiding Officer Vijay Kumar Jha noted that the evidence and factual material presented on record established clear liability on the part of the trailer driver. The tribunal explicitly dismissed the defense raised by the insurance firm, which attempted to allege contributory negligence on the part of the deceased canter driver, observing that the insurer failed to substantiate its claims with credible material.

## Insurance Provider Fails to Substantiate Claims of Contributory Fault
Scrutinizing the record, the tribunal observed that the insurance firm failed to produce any technical or objective evidence establishing the traveling speeds of the respective vehicles, the distance maintained between them, or the physical width of the highway at the site of the collision. Furthermore, no documentation was tendered regarding the mechanical status of the trailer's rear illumination or brake signaling lights at the time of the midnight impact. The tribunal also noted that the trailer driver failed to enter the witness box to provide testimony or face cross-examination, prompting the court to draw an adverse inference against him while confirming that zero negligence was attributable to the deceased motorist.

## Fraudulent Insurance Paperwork Shifts Entire Financial Obligation to Vehicle Owner
A critical turning point in the proceedings came when the insurance documentation submitted on behalf of the offending trailer was verified and revealed to be entirely fake and forged. The registered owner of the trailer could not produce an original cover note, official premium payment receipts, or any corresponding records from a certified carrier demonstrating that a legitimate insurance contract was operative on the accident date. Because no valid contract of insurance existed, the tribunal discharged the insurer from any statutory duty to indemnify the loss or satisfy the award. The tribunal computed the base compensation for Puran Mal's dependents at Rs 9.82 lakh, augmented by simple interest at 6 percent per annum, which elevates the total recovery amount to more than Rs 14.49 lakh. The court decreed that this entire sum must be discharged jointly and severally by the trailer driver and its registered owner.

## What this means for you
This judgment serves as a stern reminder to commercial vehicle operators that operating vehicles with fraudulent or unverified insurance documents exposes owners directly to immense financial liabilities.

- **Across India for Vehicle Owners:** Procuring forged or fake motor insurance policies completely voids the insurer's liability during an accident. Consequently, the entire compensation burden awarded by courts falls directly upon the personal assets of the vehicle's registered owner and driver.
- **For Commercial Transporters:** Fleet operators must ensure that all commercial vehicles carry verifiable, active insurance policies alongside fully operational tail and brake lamps. Courts draw adverse legal conclusions against vehicle operators who skip court testimony or operate unilluminated, uninspected vehicles on highways.
- **For Accident Victims and Families:** Claimants retain the legal right to secure court-mandated compensation with accrued interest even if the offending vehicle's insurance paperwork turns out to be invalid. Tribunals enforce joint and several liability against both the vehicle owner and the driver to ensure financial recovery.
- **For General Policyholders:** Vehicle purchasers must cross-check cover notes and policy numbers directly with insurer portals rather than relying blindly on unverified intermediaries. Holding counterfeit insurance leaves policyholders devoid of statutory indemnity precisely when catastrophic liability strikes.

## Why this happened
The tribunal's ruling arose from a combination of catastrophic on-road driving negligence and the revelation of forged vehicular insurance documentation during judicial scrutiny.

- **High-Speed Highway Negligence:** At around 2:00 am on October 20, 2018, the offending trailer was operated in a rash and high-speed manner near Manoharpur Pulia on the Jaipur-Delhi corridor. The violent rear impact into the loaded Eicher canter caused catastrophic fatal injuries to driver Puran Mal on the spot.
- **Absence of Rebuttal Evidence and Failure to Testify:** The defense failed to present technical data regarding braking distance, illumination, or vehicle speeds to substantiate allegations of shared negligence. Furthermore, the trailer driver's refusal to step into the witness box led the court to draw an adverse inference regarding his direct culpability.
- **Discovery of Forged Insurance Documentation:** Scrutiny of the commercial trailer's paperwork revealed that the insurance cover tendered in court was completely fraudulent. Because the registered owner could not show legitimate premium receipts or a genuine policy contract, the tribunal discharged the insurer and fixed complete recovery on the owner and driver.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What is the total compensation amount awarded by the tribunal?
The tribunal awarded a base sum of Rs 9.82 lakh with 6 percent annual interest, bringing the total compensation to over Rs 14.49 lakh.

### 2. When and where did this fatal highway collision take place?
The accident occurred at around 2:00 am on October 20, 2018, near Saraswati College by the Manoharpur Pulia on the Jaipur-Delhi highway.

### 3. Who was the victim in this accident case?
The deceased was truck driver Puran Mal, who was transporting commercial goods in an Eicher canter from Jaipur to Delhi.

### 4. Why was the insurance company exempted from paying the compensation?
The insurance policy produced for the trailer was found to be fake, and the vehicle owner failed to produce any valid original policy or premium payment proof.

### 5. Who has been directed to pay the compensation to the victim's family?
The tribunal ordered the registered owner and the driver of the trailer to jointly and severally pay the entire compensation amount.

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