The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Thane has awarded a compensation of ₹31.43 lakh to the family of a man killed in a road accident, while holding him 15% contributorily negligent for staying too close to the vehicle ahead.In its order on Tuesday (July 8, 2026), the MACT directed the owner of a tempo involved in the accident and its insurer to jointly and severally pay the amount to the family of the victim, Rajaram Narayan Mhatre, with 9% interest per annum from the date of the petition.According to the order, Mhatre was driving his Innova behind an Eicher tempo on the Pune-Nashik road on December 25, 2020, when the tempo driver suddenly applied the brakes without any signal or indication. Mhatre’s car crashed into the tempo, resulting in his death.While the insurance company argued that Mhatre was solely responsible for the crash as he rammed the vehicle from behind, the Tribunal Member R.V. Mohite noted that both drivers shared responsibility.The tribunal also noted that Mhatre did not maintain a “safe distance” between the tempo and his Innova car. Assessing the negligence of the tempo driver at 85% and Mhatre at 15%, the tribunal initially computed the total compensation at ₹36.98 lakh. After taking into account Mhatre’s contributory negligence, it directed the opponents to pay ₹31.43 lakh. Published - July 08, 2026 01:48 pm IST