Mohali, Dec. 18 -- Over 11 years after a 25-year-old woman died after a Punjab Roadways bus crashed into her family's car near Banur, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Mohali, has awarded Rs.17.45 lakh compensation, with 6% annual interest, to her family, after taking into account her educational qualifications and promising future. The amount is to be paid by the insurance company. The victim, Kiran Bala, a postgraduate and B.Ed graduate, was travelling in a car from Ladwa to Balachaur with her father, mother and two other occupants on March 16, 2014, when the bus rammed into their vehicle. Her father, Devraj, claimed that the bus, bearing registration number PB-11-AT-9020, was being driven at high speed and on the wrong side, which had led to the fatal crash near Army Colony, Banur. Three others, including Bala's mother, had also lost their lives in the accident. As Bala's father and brother approached the tribunal seeking Rs.40 lakh compensation, citing her qualifications, the bus owner and the insurance company denied negligence during the proceedings. However, after examining police records and witness statements, the tribunal held the bus driver guilty of negligent driving. Presiding officer Parminder Pal Singh assessed the compensation, keeping in mind Bala's age and qualifications, and fixed the total amount at Rs.17.45 lakh, which includes compensation for loss of earning capacity, loss of love and affection, and funeral expenses. The tribunal held the bus driver, bus owner and Oriental Insurance Company Limited jointly liable for the compensation and directed the insurance company to pay first....