People talk mostly about the rise and fall in the price of gas cylinders (LPG) used for cooking on social media. However, the victims of accidents caused by LPG cylinder leaks are not aware of the amount of compensation that can be obtained. Needless to say, there is not enough awareness among the people for this.
Cylinder Accident:
When a cylinder accident occurs the blame for who is at fault comes first. Accidents sometimes occur due to a malfunction in the cylinder, even if the accidents are caused by the negligence of the people. When such accidents occur, it is seen as the fault of the customers, distributors and companies. But the gas company and distributors are also responsible for the accidents.
There is no separate insurance for each customer purchasing an LPG cylinder. However, gas companies in India are required to have public liability insurance. In this way, the cylinder refuelling area, storage warehouse, transport, customer home, somewhere in the cylinder accident, customers, employees, whoever is affected can be compensated by insurance.
Rakesh Kumar, an auto driver from Madhya Pradesh in 2004, whose report regarding leakage of gas in his home cylinder/regulator was not taken any action by his gas distributor. His 2-year-old child later died in a fire caused by a leak from the cylinder, and his wife was seriously injured. Both the distributors and Indian Oil Corporation were found guilty in the Rakesh Kumar case. Similarly, many cases have been reported.
Amount of Compensation:
The amount of compensation for a cylinder accident has been rising for a few years. According to current data, a maximum of Rs 50 lakh can be paid for a cylinder accident. A maximum of Rs 10 lakh per person in case of loss of life, Rs 6 lakh for injured and Rs 2 lakh in case of property damage can be recovered. This amount will vary according to the insurance plans taken by the gas companies.
According to Central Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pratap in 2019, there were a total of 983 LPG accidents in 2018-19, 254 fatalities and compensation of Rs 7.10 crore.
Instructions for obtaining compensation in such accidents are also provided. In the event of an accident the customer must notify their dealer in writing. It is their responsibility to inform the gas company and the insurance company. Compensation can be obtained by issuing receipts for medical expenses and medical report or death certificate should be issued in case of death. Similarly, if there is any damage to the customer’s property, a surveyor will be sent to assess it and the losses will be calculated.
Safety procedures are constantly being advised to customers who use the cylinder. Adhere to it and use the cylinders safely. Likewise, the equipment used for it should be in high quality. Defective situation must be reported to distributor. People are less aware of how to get compensation for cylinder leakage accidents. It is important to know this. It is more important to be safe than that.
Links :
Producer & distributor both liable for LPG leak
Insurance for Gas Cylinder Blast Victims
Public Liability Insurance Policies for accidents involving LPG
