Chennai authorities have decided to streamline the process, so people can claim compensation without much trouble.
22-year old Royston from Kambar Nagar Chennai, met with an accident and was hospitalised for more than five months. He was hesitant to claim insurance, as he feared he would have to go to the police station time and again, to obtain case documents, and then haggle with the insurance company as well. It was an uncle, who told him about a new facility.
Royston filed a case with the MCOP tribunal, producing the documents which he downloaded. The insurance company also came through with a Rs 3.25 lakh settlement in just 41 days.
According to The New Indian Express, a new online facility by the State Police in Chennai allows families of victims to claim compensation.
The online facility is part of the Crimes and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) which allows the victim or their families to download case documents directly to claim insurance.
Insurance companies are also given access to the documents so they can get in touch with the victim directly, offering compensation. This saves a lot of time.
Until now, around 18 families of accident victims have received claims from the insurance firms, within a few months from their incidents, thanks to the CCTNS, and the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB). The online portal allows victims to gain access to case documents relevant to them, through the mobile number registered with the police.
According to advocate V S Suresh, it would normally take years to get this amount, with Royston’s claim joining thousands of other such cases pending before the courts. The lawyer specialises in road accident claim cases, praised the online initiative, saying that it has brought in transparency. He said that the loophole in the process delays in filing charge sheets by the cops must be plugged.
Elaborating, the lawyer said that traffic investigation wing in the city deals with accident cases, whereas in the districts, it falls under the law-and-order of the police station, which further delays the process of filing a charge-sheet. Cops blame the lack of witnesses and department work for the delays.
A senior cop said every police station will upload road-accident documents. Companies could directly access the claim cases filed, and the system allows insurance companies to verify facts instantly, and pay compensation to victims, instead of waiting for the tribunal to hear and decide the compensation.
Insurance companies are happy about this arrangement, with MS Sreedhar, MD of Royal Sundaram Insurance company praising it. He said that every day, the firms check accident details filed on the CCTNS, and also check if any victim has filed claims to their company. Victims are contacted, and compensation is filed. Other documents, like damage cost from the victim, are also collected, and the insurance companies offer a settlement amount.
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Well, for accident victims in Chennai, claiming compensation is easier–a great initiative to take the burden off someone who is already facing trauma due to a mishap.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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