Hit and run motor accidents: Govt provides compensation to victims, know limit, other details
1 min read . Updated: 17 Mar 2023, 10:56 AM IST
Premium- The government has set up a Motor Vehicles Accident Fund, which will be used for providing compensation in case of hit-and-run accidents and treatment for accident victims
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said that ₹147 lakh was disbursed as compensation to victims of hit-and-run cases in the current fiscal year till February.
Under the scheme, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has come up with a procedure for detailed investigations of road accidents, Detailed Accident Report (DAR) and its reporting along with timelines for different stakeholders for quick settlements of claims.
The government has set up a Motor Vehicles Accident Fund, which will be used for providing compensation in case of hit-and-run accidents and treatment for accident victims.
Compensation of victims of Hit and Run motor accidents:
It provides for increased compensation to victims of hit-and-run accidents, ₹50,000 (in case of grievous injury) and ₹2,00,000 (in case of death) including detailed procedure for availing this compensation.
According to the official gazette notification the ‘Hit and Run Compensation Account’means such part of the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund that is utilised for the payment of compensation for hit and run accident victims and reimbursement of cashless treatment expenditure of hit and run motor accident victims, to the Account for Uninsured Vehicles or Hit and Run Motor Accident, if any."
The motor vehicle accident fund means a Fund as constituted under section 164B, and shall include the Account for Insured Vehicles, Account for Uninsured Vehicles or Hit and Run Motor Accident, and the Hit and Run Compensation Account.
As per The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways annual report published in 2022, there were 4,12,432 unfortunate incidences of road accidents during 2021 which claimed 1, 53,972 lives and caused injuries to 3, 84,448 persons. During the previous year 2020, country saw an unprecedented decrease in accidents, fatalities and injuries. This was due to the unusual outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and resultant stringent nation-wide lockdown particularly during March-April, 2020 followed by gradual unlocking and phasing out of the containment measures. Major indicators related with accidents have performed better in 2021 when compared to 2019. Road accidents decreased by 8.1 percent and injuries decreased by 14.8 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. Fatalities, however, on accounts of road accidents increased by 1.9 percent in 2021 corresponding to the same period in 2019.
