Whether Insurance company can reject the claim if the vehicle owner has not paid the authorization fee to obtain national permit as on the date of loss?
Shubham
Budhiraja[1]
A took an insurance for
its truck operating in the state of Bihar and outstation. During the course of
insurance period, the truck caught fire on account of short circuit. The
Insurance company repudiated the claim on the ground that vehicle was not
having national permit as on date of loss because authorization fee was not
paid. The State Commission allowed the claim basis the Nitin Khandelwal case
and directed to settle the claim on non-standard basis. The Hon’ble NCDRC in appeal
set aside the order basis that Nitin Khandelwal does not apply because that was
a theft case whereas this is a fire accident case. The Hon’ble Supreme Court
held as under[2]:
1.
The authorization fee was required to be
paid only when the truck was moving out of State of Bihar as it was registered
in the State of Bihar and the truck caught fire on account of short-circuit on
08.06.2014 in the State of Bihar itself and, therefore, insurance company could
not have repudiated the claim on such a frivolous ground.
2.
The permit in question was issued by the
competent authority in Bihar and, therefore, there was no requirement of paying
authorization fee when the truck was being used in the State of Bihar and as
per the terms and conditions of the National Permit, authorization fee was
required to be paid only when the truck was moving out of State of Bihar
[1]
Advocate,
Delhi High Court [LLB, ACS, BCOM(H)], Budhirajalawchambers@gmail.com
[2] Shri
Binod Kumar Singh v. National Insurance Company Limited, SLP (Civil) No.
13060 of 2020
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