2 weeks Ago
The couple's travel insurance claim was not addressed. They sought help from a consumer forum. UDUPI: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission , in a recent order, indicted an insurance company for deficiency of service in a case involving a senior citizen couple from Bramhavar under Section 35 of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.
The commission directed the insurance company to pay compensation of Rs 48,000 for a flight delay and Rs 16,000 for the missed connecting flight, along with interest at eight per cent per annum from the date of the complaint until realisation. Additionally, the insurance company was directed to pay Rs 5,000 each towards mental agony and Rs 5,000 towards litigation. The complainants, Prof Mathew C Ninan, Director, Little Rock Indian School, and his wife Lali Abraham, on their way back home from the UK after a personal visit in April 2023, had a harrowing experience due to a delay in their flight from Heathrow Airport and consequently missed their flight from Bengaluru to Mangaluru.
The delay at Heathrow necessitated rescheduling their onward journey from Bengaluru. They were forced to spend 10 hours at Heathrow and seven hours at Bengaluru, causing severe strain and anxiety. Their travel insurance, purchased through a travel agency, entitled them to compensation for the delay.
The claim was submitted on April 27, 2023, but the insurance firm was non-responsive despite numerous emails and letters. The complainants contacted the Consumer Forum (Balakedarara Vedike), Udupi, an NGO involved in assisting aggrieved consumers, seeking an early resolution. Registered letters from the forum were not heeded by the insurance company and travel agency.
The forum advised the complainants to approach the district commission through Advocate Selestin Pushpa on March 7, 2024..
