Consumer court tells insurer to pay claim of boat stricken by Cyclone Phyan in Karwar, but drifted to Maharashtra

It was an ill-fated day for the crew of the fishing boat Shivashankar from Udupi, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, which sank near Karwar, in Uttara Kannada district, after being caught in hostile weather during Cyclone Phyan in 2009. To make matters worse, the insurance company denied the claim of the owner, Shyamala S. Kunder, alleging that the boat had travelled beyond the jurisdiction where its insurance was valid.

After a legal battle of more than 16 years, the Karnataka State Consumer Disputed Redressal Commission (KSCDRC), in its ruling earlier this year, told the insurance company to pay 75% of the claim, fine and litigation costs to Ms. Kunder.