Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Mumbai Tribunal Awards ₹8.15 Lakh to Kalina Crash Victim
A woman named Rachana Sirohi was hurt in a road accident in Mumbai in 2020.
She was riding on the back of a motorcycle when a private bus crashed into it.
Her right foot was badly injured and needed surgery.
She stayed in the hospital and was admitted again later.
She said the injury made it difficult to stand for long periods at work.
A Mumbai tribunal decided that she should receive compensation.
The insurance company argued that the motorcycle rider was partly responsible and questioned the bus’s documents.
The tribunal said the insurer had not provided enough evidence and awarded Sirohi ₹8.15 lakh.
Mumbai’s Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded ₹8.15 lakh to 31-year-old Rachana Vinitkumar Sirohi.
She was injured when a private bus collided with the motorcycle on which she was riding as a pillion passenger in Kalina on January 21, 2020.
The crash caused a crush injury, fractures and tendon damage to her right foot, requiring surgery and hospitalisation.
Sirohi said the injury affected her ability to stand and caused her to lose her hotel front-office job.
The tribunal rejected the insurer’s claims of motorcycle negligence, an invalid bus licence and missing permits or fitness certificates.
- Who
- Rachana Vinitkumar Sirohi, also known as Rachna Chaudhary, brought the claim against Caravan Travels and the bus’s insurer.
- What
- The Mumbai Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded ₹8.15 lakh for injuries suffered in a bus-motorcycle collision.
- When
- The accident occurred on January 21, 2020; the award was reported on August 31, 2026.
- Where
- The collision occurred near Gate No. 8 in Kalina on Kurla-Santacruz Road, Mumbai.
- Why
- The compensation was awarded for serious right-foot injuries, medical treatment and claimed employment loss following the accident.
Claimant’s Position
Insurer’s Position
Responsibility for the collision
Claimant’s Position
Sirohi’s claim described the bus as approaching from the opposite direction and colliding with the motorcycle.
Insurer’s Position
The insurer disputed the bus’s involvement and alleged that the motorcycle rider was negligent.
Contributory negligence
Claimant’s Position
The claimant’s side maintained that there was no evidence the motorcycle was in the wrong lane or being driven rashly.
Insurer’s Position
The insurer sought a 50% reduction in compensation, arguing that the motorcycle rider shared responsibility.
Bus compliance
Claimant’s Position
The claim proceeded against Caravan Travels and its insurer for the accident involving the bus.
Insurer’s Position
The insurer alleged that the bus driver lacked a valid licence and that the bus lacked the required permit or fitness certificate.
- Compensation
- ₹8.15 lakh
- Accident date
- January 21, 2020, at about 6:30 a.m.
- Injured claimant
- Rachana Vinitkumar Sirohi, aged 31 at the time of the proceedings
- Injuries
- Crush injury, fractures of the third and fourth metatarsals, and ruptured tendons in the right foot
- Treatment
- K-wire fixation and tendon repair at INHS Asvini Hospital; hospitalisation from January 21 to 29, 2020, with another admission in February
- Claimed employment impact
- Sirohi said she lost her front-office job at Niranta Airport Transit Hotel and Lounge because she could not stand for long periods
- Tribunal finding
- The insurer’s allegations were rejected because it did not produce testimony from the bus driver or evidence from licensing or RTO authorities