The insurer had rejected the claim on the grounds that the driver had only a learner’s license at the time of the accident, but a Gandhinagar district consumer commission on Tuesday ordered the insurer to compensate for the damage done to a car in the accident.
A learner’s license is nevertheless a legitimate driving licence, according to the commission, and the insurer cannot reject an insurance claim on such an irrational basis.
It ordered the insurer to pay the car’s insured declared value of Rs 4.68 lakh with 9% interest, as well as an additional Rs 30,000 for legal costs and damages for harassing the customer.
On February 9, 2021, K R Srinivas, a resident of Gandhinagar, was driving his sedan to his workplace from home. A bus struck his car hard, seriously hurting the driver and causing serious damage to the car. After being rushed to the hospital, Srinivas received treatment for a cerebral haemorrhage. His son reported the incident to Future Generali Insurance Co Ltd and later filed an official claim.
The insurance company rejected the claim, arguing that Srinivas’ learner’s license, which is not regarded as a legitimate permit, was in effect at the time of the accident. A person with a valid driver’s license may not have been sitting next to the driver, which is another factor that contributed to the tragedy.
It was stated on behalf of the complaint that the notification of the accident was made on the same day and the claim was submitted three days later. A Supreme Court ruling states that a learner’s license is a license.
The driver’s learner’s license should be regarded as a legitimate and functional license, said the commission’s president D T Soni and member J P Joshi after hearing the case. The insurer’s denial citing the invalidity of his licence was “unreasonable, unworkable, obscure, and capricious.”
