M.G.GINEESH Vs. K.C.NINAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These appeals proffers for resolution an apparently hitherto unasked question - whether an employee/claimant is entitled to interest on the amounts of medical expenses suffered by him, consequent to the suffering of personal injury on account of an accident in the course of employment, under the provisions of the Employee's Compensation Act, 1923.

(2.) Since it is the same issue impelled in these appeals, I have thought it apposite to hear them together and to dispose them of through this judgment.

(3.) Both these appeals have been filed by the claimants before the Court of the Commissioner for Employee's Compensation (Industrial Tribunal), Alappuzha, who assert that they had suffered accidents, while being engaged by their employer, namely, the first respondent (who will hereinafter be referred to as the employer). The appellants say that consequent to the accidents, since their compensation and reimbursement claims were not acceded to by the employer, they were constrained to file claim petitions before the Employees Compensation Commissioner, which were numbered as ECC No.169/2014 (in the case of the appellant in MFA NO.168/2019) and as ECC No.204/2014 (in the case of the appellant in MFA No.171/2019) .