Man who lost leg in bus accident near Pune awarded ₹1 crore compensation
Man who lost leg in bus accident near Pune awarded ₹1 crore compensation
Tribunal rules in favour of Nalasopara man who lost his leg in Pune bus accident; Awards nearly Rs.1 crore for 100% functional disability
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded nearly ₹1 crore in compensation, including interest, to Abhijit Pujare, a 34-year-old man from Nalasopara, who lost his right leg in a tragic road accident in 2021. The tribunal deemed Pujare to have suffered 100% functional disability due to the amputation and associated injuries, concluding that he can no longer continue his previous job as a manager in a shipping firm.
The compensation amount will be jointly paid by the bus owner and the insurance company.
The accident occurred around 5:30 am on January 21, 2021, when Pujare was travelling as a passenger on a Tata motor bus headed towards the Solapur highway in Indapur taluka of Pune district. According to Pujare’s application to the tribunal, the driver was speeding and driving recklessly when the vehicle crashed into a roadside divider and overturned onto its left side.
Severe and permanent injuries
The aftermath was devastating. Pujare suffered:
- Amputation of the right leg above the knee
- Injuries to both hands
- Tear and laceration on the left knee
- Injury to the left ankle with multiple embedded foreign bodies
- Head injury with frontal laceration
- Loss of one upper tooth and damage to three others
Due to the extent of his injuries and the permanent disability that followed, Pujare could not return to work.
While delivering the verdict, the tribunal said:
“Considering the amputation and other injuries, certainly the applicant cannot work as a manager. Thus, the functional disability of the applicant will have to be considered as 100 percent.”
The compensation, though slightly less than the ₹1.25 crore that Pujare had sought in February 2022, acknowledges the life-altering nature of the accident and the negligence of the driver.
This case is a stark reminder of the long-term human cost of rash and negligent driving, and a call to action for stricter road safety enforcement.
