OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM, ANGUL

       PRESENT:- SRI  DURGA CHARAN MISHRA.                          

                                       PRESIDENT

                                                             A N D

                                   Smt.Sunanda Mallick & Sri K.K.Mohanty,

                                      MEMBERS .

                              Consumer Complaint No. 78 of 2013

                                         Date  of  Filling : -18.11.2013.

                                                 Date  of  Order :-  10.08.2018.

 Sri Binod Kumar Saralia,S/O.Late Mangturam Saralia,

At/P.O.Bagadia,P.S.Chhendiapada,Dist.Angul..

                                          _________________________Complainant.

                   Vrs.

 Divisional Manager, National Insurance  Company Ltd.,

Division Office,Main Market,P.O/P.S/Dist.Angul.

                                                                            ….....................................................................Opp. party

For the complainant  :-  Sri B.K.Pradhan  & associates(Advs.).

For the opp.party      :-  Sri J.N.Mishra & associates (Advs).

                                     : J U D G E M E N T   :

Sri D. C. Mishra, President.

          The  complainant has  filed this  case  with prayer to direct the  opp.party to pay Rs. 6,51,903.00  along with   interest @ 14% p.a  towards   his  full  insurance  claim settlement   for  accidental damage of  his Mahindra & Mahindra  make  Scorpio Turbo 2WD 9 STR BS2 (D) bearing Regd. No. OR 19L 8551    .

2.       Briefly stated the  complainant’s  case runs thus :-

          That  the  complainant had  purchased  one  Mahindra & Mahindra  make  Scorpio Turbo 2WD 9 STR BS2 (D) vide Regd. No. OR 19L 8551 on 3.6.2011   from M/S. Gupta Automobiles, Angul  by  paying Rs. 7,93,291.00  only  and  insured the same  with opp.party’s  insurance  company (National Insurance  Company ) for Rs. 7,52,400.00  only  by  paying early  premium of Rs. 18,925.00  and the  insurance  was  valid  for  one year  i.e  from 3.6.2011  to  2.6.2012 . Subsequently the  complainant  Registered the  vehicle  under RTO,Angul and  got  the  number OR 19L 8551.On  7.6.2011  at  3 am when the  vehicle was   moving  from Bagedia  to Angul  being  driven  by   a driver having  valid  license   for  servicing on the  way at  Sajara Sahi one  cow  suddenly  came in front of the  vehicle, for which the  driver  applied  sudden  break   as a  result   of which  the Scorpio  capsized  causing  fully  damage of  its body  and  other  components. Soon after the  accident the  complainant  reported the  fact  at  Bagadia  Police beat house  and  to the  insurer ( opp.party) .Thereafter the  petitioner made a claim before the opp.party for  extensive  damage of the  vehicle  along  with  repair estimate  of Rs. 5,83,791.00   made by the  authorized  service  center  along  with other  required  documents. It is  important  to mention that  after  getting the  intimation of  accident the opp.party’s company deputed   surveyor  engineer Pravat Pradhan  to the  spot  and  after  his inspection and  consent the authorized  service  center estimated the  repairing cost but after   some  day the  opp.party again  deputed  another  surveyor namely  engineer  S.C.Senapaty  who inspected  the damaged  vehicle on 1.7.2011 at the   authorized  service center . Further,  the petitioner  requested the opp.party for  settlement  on total loss basis  as  because  the  estimated  cost of the repairing  work  was Rs. 5,83,791.00  after first surveyor’s  inspection  but the  opp.party did not  accept  the  proposal and intimated the petitioner  for  inspection  of the  vehicle  by the  second surveyor. After  dismantling of the    vehicle  and   discussion  with the petitioner, the  surveyor  took  necessary  photographs and  advised  the petitioner to  start  repairing  of the  vehicle and  repairing  cost  became  Rs. 6,51,903.00 only. On 5.6.2012  the petitioner  paid the  above  amount of Rs. 6,51,903.00  to the   repairer vide cheque No. 6918211   dt. 5.6.2012 and  immediately   reported the  fact   but  instead of  making   the payment  ultimately  paid Rs, 3,44,710.00-  only   but the petitioner  refused to  accept it, claiming   the     full  amount. Despite    several  requests   and  discussions  with  the opp.party, the  opp.party did not  comply  the  claim of  the   petitioner .So this  case has been filed.

2.       The  opp.party   has  contested   the case  by  filing  written version, stating    that  after due verification  and  analysis   they  passed Rs. 3,44,710.00   towards   compensation for  loss and  damage but the  petitioner   did not  accept  it  and  claiming very  high  amount   without  any   rhyme or  reasons. The opp.party has  filed    further  written submission   but  did not    serve   copy on the  complainant. In the  above  premises the opp.party has prayed  for  dismissal of the case with  cost   on the grounds  that the  petitioner  has no cause  of action to  file the  case and the  case is not maintainable  etc.

3.       In view of the  rival pleadings of the parties  the following issues  arise  for consideration :-

Issues:-

1. Whether the  case is maintainable and  whether  there is  any cause of action to file the  case or  not ?
2. Whether    the   complainant  is  a consumer  under the opp.party ?
3. Whether the  claim of the  petitioner to  get  Rs. 6,51,903.00  is  genuine  or  not ?
4. To  what reliefs  the  parties  are entitled  to  ?

: F I N D I N G S :

Issue No.(i)& (ii):-The  complainant  had insured  his  vehicle  under the opp.party  and  during the  valid insurance  period the  vehicle met  with  an accident  and  became  completely  damaged  but instead of   sanctioning  the  full  claim  of the petitioner the  opp.party  sanctioned  less amount, for  which  there is  cause of  action to file the  case. Since  all the  facts occurred in Angul area  the  case is   maintainable.​

                As  because  the   petitioner had insured  the  vehicle  by paying   yearly premium  there  is   consumer  and  service  provider  relation  between  them.

Issue No.(iii):- The opp.party has not disputed  about the   policy  or  about the  accident  and had sanctioned Rs. 3,44,710.00  towards the damage  and loss . Therefore   any  further  discussion  about insurance of   the vehicle,   its  accident  and  damage   is not  necessary  specially as the opp.party has not  disputed it. The only   question  arises  whether  the  complainant  is entitled to  get Rs. 6,51,903.00  as  insurance  amount from  opp.party towards  loss and damaged    to the  vehicle. The  complainant has  admitted   in  his plaint  that after getting the  information,  the opp.party deputed surveyor  Engineer Pravata  Pradhan  who inspected  the  vehicle  at authorized  service  center  i.e   Mahindra Authorised Show  Room  M/S.Gupta Automobiles ,Angul  and  as per  his  consent the  repairing   cost  was  estimated  by the  authorized  center which   became  Rs. 5,83,791.00  only. Subsequently   on   completion of repairing  the   petitioner has claimed  Rs. 6,91,903.00 only   but  this repairing  cost   has not been certified by the  surveyor   and  it has been  done  beyond the   knowledge of the opp.party and the  surveyor. Therefore extra demand  towards  repairing  of  enginee and  other  prats  beyond  Rs. 5,83,791.00  is  not  genuine. However,  the  authorized  service  center  has  estimated the  repairing  cost to  be Rs. 5,83,791.00 and  it  has been estimated  as  per  advice  of the  1^st  surveyor  engineer Pravata Pradhan  after  spot  survey of the  vehicle.​

              The  written statement reveals that the opp.party had estimated the  repairing cost to  be Rs. 2,72,461.72  only towards  spare parts, Rs. 65,042.88  only towards  depreciated  spare  part and  Rs. 60,642.00  only towards  labour  charges  which  comes  around Rs. 3,98,146.60  but  after  deducting  spare parts depreciation  value  and  salvage  they  have passed   only  Rs. 3,44,710.00  which is  not  genuine.

            The  petitioner had  purchased the  vehicle  for Rs. 7,93,291.00  only  and  insured  it  for Rs. 7,52,400.00  only  but   to  his  bad  luck  the  vehicle  met with   the  accident  on 7.6.2011  i.e only  after  4  days  of the  purchase  and  became  completely damaged  but   instead of   making  proper assessment and  calculation  the opp.party has  whimsically estimated  the cost in a  very  low  amount. Since  the  first  estimation was made  by the  authorized  service  center  after  spot  visit  by the  1^st  surveyor   engineer  Pravata Pradhan , therefore that  estimation  to the  tune of Rs. 5,83,791.00 it   to be  accepted  as  genuine and  correct.

Issue No.(iv):-      In view  of the discussion made above  the petitioner is   entitled to  get Rs. 5,83,791.00  only towards  repairing cost of  his  insured  damaged vehicle (Mahindra & Mahindra  make  Scorpio Turbo 2WD 9 STR BS2 (D) vide Regd. No. OR19L 8551) from  the  opp.party  .Also  the petitioner is entitled to   get  compensation towards mental agony and  litigation  charges.

4. Hence order :-

: O R D E R :

                 The case is disposed of on contest against the opp.party and in favour of the complainant.

                The opp.party is  directed to pay Rs. 5,83,791.00  only  to the petitioner  with 5%  yearly  compensable  interest  from the date of filing of this  case i.e from   18.11.2013  and Rs. 10,000.00  towards mental  agony and Rs. 5000.00  towards cost  of  litigation to the  petitioner  within  45 days  of getting  this  order. In case of  any deviation of this order  the  awarded amount i.e Rs. 5,83,791.00 (Rupees Five Lakh Eight-three thousand Seven hundred Ninety-one) with 5%  yearly compoundable interest + Rs. 10,000.000(Rupees Ten Thousand) towards mental agony +Rs. 5,000.00 (Rupees Five Thousand) towards cost of  litigation  will carry  12%  early  compoundable  interest  from 46^th  day of this  order besides other penalty prescribed in the C.P.Act. 

                                                                                                                                               Order delivered in the open forum                                                                                                                                                                  today the 10^th  August,2018 with hand                                                                                                                                                               and seal of this Forum.

Typed to my dictation

and corrected by me                                                                                                                     (Sri D. C. Mishra)

                                                                                                                                                           President.                                                                           

  (Sri D. C. Mishra)                                                             

         President.

 (Sri K.K.Mohanty),                                                                             (Smt.S.Mallick),

      Member                                                                                                 Member