India, Oct. 9 -- Thirty years after a Panvel resident was injured in a road accident, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the insurer of the offending vehicle to compensate the woman even though she was not permanently disabled due to the accident.

While the compensation of Rs.25,000 plus interest, amounting to about Rs.64,000, may not be a substantial sum, the court's ruling may impact compensation claims before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), which people often approach after a family member dies or is rendered disabled in a road accident.

The petitioner, Mitali Sawant, had approached the court in 2005, when she was 25, after the MACT turned down her plea for compensation.

Sawant was injured when a tempo crashed in...