3 years after insurer rejects fisherman’s drowning death claim, widow gets Rs 5 lakh

In a Telangana consumer commission ruling, the widow of a fisherman who drowned in 2023 after falling from his motorcycle into a pond received Rs 5.15 lakh from an insurance company. The insurer had initially denied the claim, arguing the death was due to a pre-existing health condition. However, the commission found that the fire was caused by the drowning, and directed the insurer to pay the sum assured of Rs 5 lakh as well as Rs 10,000 for mental anguish.

The commission emphasized insurers must settle claims with proper evidence, rejecting assumptions and presumptions.