Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Consumer Forum Directed Oriental Insurance To Pay For Transfer Of Dead Body From US To India

A district consumer forum has recently ordered state owned insurer the Oriental Insurance Company Limited to pay over Rs 2 lac to one Mr. Arvind Thakkar spent to bring back the dead body of his wife, Rashmi from the US.

As per the complainant Mr. Thakkar, he had taken the insurance policy from Oriental Insurance Company for a period starting from March 22, 2009 to September 17, 2009. As per the terms and conditions, the company would cover the transfer charges of the dead body to India if the insured died while abroad; if the last rites were performed abroad, the cost of that too would be covered. 

On March 31, 2009, Rashmi died at her son's house in the US when he and his wife were away at work. Although, her son informed the local office of the insurance company about the death after he returned home, the insurer did not respond. And the son spent money from his pocket to transfer the body to India. 

Then Mr. Thakkar applied to the insurer seeking compensation; but it rejected the claim citing that since Rashmi had died of cardiac arrest and that ailment was not covered under the policy. And also, Mr. Thakkar had not revealed at the time of taking policy that his wife Rashmi had been suffering from heart ailment. 

Mr. Thakkar, then moved the consumer forum seeking compensation of over Rs 2 lac. The forum, headed by Mr. S.S. Vyavahare, ordered the company to pay the complainant the cost of transferring the body plus 10 % interest from the date of filing the complaint till disbursal of the amount. In addition, the forum also asked insurer to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 towards the mental agony it caused to the complainant, as well as Rs 2,500 towards litigation cost. 

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