Panchkula, Nov. 23 -- The Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) in Panchkula has awarded a compensation of Rs.42.48 lakh to the family of a 32-year-old man who died in a road accident in May 2022. The claim petition was filed in August 2022 by victim Vikram's 32-year-old widow, Jaswinder Kaur, his three children (all aged below 10), and his old parents from Raipur Rani. The respondents in the case were Subhash (the driver of the offending vehicle from Hoshiarpur), Gurmeet Singh (its owner from Mohali), and The Oriental Insurance Company Limited. As per the case details, the accident occurred on May 18, 2022, near cement pipe factory in Bagwali village on the national highway. At around 3 am, Vikram was heading to a brick kiln on his mare cart to load bricks, driving on the left-hand side of the road. A vehicle bearing a Punjab registration number, driven at high speed in a "zig-zag manner" and violating traffic rules, hit the mare cart from the backside. The forceful impact caused the cart to overturn, instantly killing the mare and severely damaging the cart. Vikram sustained grievous injuries, with blood flowing from his body. The driver of the offending vehicle paused briefly before fleeing the scene. Vikram was initially taken to CHC Barwala, referred to Panchkula civil hospital and finally admitted to PGIMER Chandigarh. He underwent surgery but succumbed to his injuries on May 23. Local police had registered a case against the driver, Subhash, under Sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life), 427 (mischief causing damage), and 429 (mischief by killing an animal) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). During the hearing, the driver and the insurance company argued that no accident had taken place with their vehicle, while the owner claimed the accident was due to the deceased's own negligence. After hearing both sides, the tribunal awarded the main compensation of Rs.42,48,480 to Vikram's family. Additionally, a separate claim filed by Jaswinder Kaur for the death of the five-year-old mare was granted Rs.1 lakh in compensation, along with a lump sum of Rs.10,000 for the damaged cart. The tribunal ruled that all three respondents-the driver, the owner, and the insurance company-are jointly and severally liable to pay the entire compensation amount....