Supreme Court orders insurance companies to develop a common mobile app

Supreme Court orders insurance companies to develop a common mobile app

Directions issued for speedy settlement of compensation in road accidents

The Supreme Court has ordered insurance companies to develop a common mobile app to expedite the process of payment of compensation in motor accident cases.

The bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh declined the request by the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) seeking certain specific directions from the court so that it could develop the app.

The apex court maintained, "The insurance company cannot wriggle out of the earlier directions." It added that if the GIC and other insurance companies failed to develop the app within two months, the Central government would be called upon to do so.

The directions came on a petition filed by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company.

The court had earlier passed a slew of directions with a view to facilitate and make procedures in the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) cases more smooth and claimant-friendly.

In the recent order, the court said that the insurance companies must inform the MACT of the payment of the dues along with issuing a copy to the beneficiary. The bench opined that this would end the liability on such insurance companies/depositors.

The bench also emphasized that the guidelines for the issuance of disability certificates to the victims must be strictly adhered to by the MACT with respect to income loss due to injury/disablement. To bring uniformity across the country, the District Medical Board was instructed to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Further, the top court instructed the Legal Services Authority and mediation groups to assist the claimant-beneficiary in obtaining a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card. (The availability of a PAN card avoids 20 percent of tax deduction at the source).