Thursday, May 29, 2014

Unexpected Ailments Should Be Considered As Accidents: Human Rights Commission

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has directed insurance companies that claims related to unexpected ailments should be treated as accidents and cannot be repudiated.

The Commission was hearing a case in which a fisherman from Poonthura, Mr. Hridayadasan suffered a heart attack off the coast of Poonthura. Hridayadasan was insured with the New India Assurance, a state-run insurance company but he was denied the insurance amount saying that heart stroke was not eligible for getting any insurance claim.

The Commission headed by Mr. J B Koshy asked New India Assurance to reexamine its decision to reject claim. “Denying compensation after receiving premium is a violation of human rights," he said. Hridayadasan has been paying the premium for his health insurance policy for 7 years.

On June 2, 2013, the fisherman Mr. Hridayadasan had suffered heart attack and since then he been not able to move. The fisherman received a sum of Rs. 50,000 from the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, but according to the Commission, it was not sufficient for his treatment expenses.

The Commission cited the decisions of the Karnataka and the Odisha High Courts in which it had been ruled that unexpected ailments should be considered as accidents and compensations had to be paid.

The Commission asked the New India Assurance Company to respond to the Commission before June 10, 2014.

Source: 

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