AR Anjaneya, a lorry driver suffered a heart attack while he was driving to his destination with a load of iron ore. Following a punctured tyre, he was resting after having food, when he suffered the attack. While the Labour Officer and Commissioner for Workmen Compensation awarded his family a compensation of Rs 3,84,280, the insurer, the National Insurance Company, challenged the move. It claimed that it was liable to pay compensation only if the worker had died of an injury from an accident while on duty.
However, the High Court paid heed to the fact that the driver had suffered a heart attack due to the stress caused by driving for long hours. Also, his work for the day had not been completed. He was still on duty, and yet to deliver the load to a specific destination. He died while trying to complete the task, in all likelihood because of stress.
Therefore, the claim of the Insurance Company that Anjaneya’s death was a natural one cannot be accepted.
