Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

The appellant, a forging machine operator, lost multiple phalanges of four fingers of his right hand in an accident at work. The Commissioner under the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923 initially assessed a 100% disability and awarded compensation based on a factor of 213.57. On appeal, the High Court reduced the disab…

The appellants' parents, who were partners in a mill, died in a road accident when a bus collided with their vehicle. The appellants filed separate claim petitions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 seeking Rs 1 crore each, and the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 58.24 lakh and Rs 93.61 lakh respectively, ba…

The claimants, legal heirs of a government employee who died in a motor accident, were awarded Rs.37,85,800 compensation by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. The insurer, New India Assurance Co., appealed seeking deduction of the financial assistance payable under the Haryana Compensation Assistance Rules, 2006, whil…

The appellant, Alifiya Husenbhai Keshariya, was injured in a road accident and claimed Rs 10 lakhs before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which awarded her Rs 2,41,745 with interest. She filed a Miscellaneous Application in the Gujarat High Court seeking permission to appeal the award as an indigent person, arguing…

A Block Development Officer was riding pillion on a scooter when it collided with the tail‑end of a long trailer, resulting in the amputation of both his legs. The claimant sought compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, but the Tribunal and the Calcutta High Court held that the scooter driver, w…

The appellant, K.S. Muralidhar, suffered a severe spinal injury resulting in 100% functional disability after his company vehicle collided with a negligently driven lorry. The Tribunal awarded Rs.58,09,930 plus interest and future medical expenses, while the Karnataka High Court enhanced the award to Rs.78,16,390, calc…

The appellant Kavin, aged 21, suffered 100% permanent disability in a bus accident and claimed Rs.1 crore compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.67,83,866, but the Madras High Court reduced it by Rs.19 lakh, cutting amounts for future medical expens…

The appellants, heirs of a businessman who died when a bus collided with his motorcycle in August 2008, claimed compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 31,41,000 with 9% interest, but the Delhi High Court reduced the amount to Rs 16,97,370, excluding the deceased's…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu, examined the problem of large sums of unclaimed compensation lying with Motor Accident Claims Tribunals (MACTs) and Labour Courts under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, after an email from a retired district judge highlighted the issue. The Court…

In 2013 a car collided with a 14‑wheeler that had been abandoned in the middle of a highway without any warning lights or markers, killing the car's driver and three passengers while one passenger, Smt. Sushma, survived with injuries. The claimants filed compensation claims under the Motor Vehicles Act against the owne…

The appellants, the family of Smt. Tarawati who was killed by a negligent truck driver, challenged the compensation awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal and enhanced by the High Court under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. They contended that the deceased's age was incorrectly taken as 60 years, that her monthly …

The claimants, wife and son of the deceased Chakradhar Dubey, filed a motor accident claim after he was injured and later died following a collision between his car and a truck (MP-19-HA-1197). The First Additional Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) awarded compensation of Rs. 50,41,289 against the truck driver and …

The appellant, a 21‑year‑old veterinary student and state‑level volleyball player, suffered quadriplegia and 100% disability after being hit by a car, and claimed compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 5,16,000, which the High Court enhanced to Rs 15,25,600 by ass…

The deceased, K.H.M. Shivamurthaiah, died in a motor vehicle accident, leaving behind a family dependent on his earnings from agriculture, milk‑vending and tractor‑hiring. The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal (MACT) awarded compensation based on a notional monthly income of Rs.10,000, which the High Court reduced to Rs.8…

The deceased Sub‑Inspector of the CRPF was injured in a road accident and claimed compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) initially awarded compensation based on a 61.94% disability assessed by a Medical Board, but on reconsideration a Commissioner appointed by the Tri…

Mahadeo Krishna Naik, a bus driver for Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was dismissed after a fatal accident in 1996. The Labour Court upheld his dismissal, but the corporation later obtained a Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) award that placed sole blame on the lorry driver, a fact it failed…

The appellants, legal representatives of two deceased motorcyclists, claimed compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, alleging that a canter lorry driven by respondent No.1 caused the fatal accident. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal and the Karnataka High Court dismissed the claims, finding tha…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by the married daughter (appellant No.1) and the mother (appellant No.2) of a woman who died in a road accident. The High Court had reduced the daughter’s compensation to Rs.50,000 and dismissed the mother’s claim, relying on Manjuri Bera. The Court held that a married daughter ca…

The appellant, a child of seven years, suffered grievous injuries and moderate mental retardation in a motor vehicle accident, resulting in 75% disability which the Court treated as 100% for compensation purposes. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.5,90,750, which the Delhi High Court enhanced by Rs.5,60,000…

The appellant, a pillion rider, was injured in a motor accident on 27 January 2013, sustaining fractures of both forearms and undergoing surgery with plates and screws. A medical disability certificate issued by Dr. N.Y. Joshi recorded a 50% permanent disablement. The Tribunal awarded compensation based on a 25% disabi…

The case involved a fatal collision between a truck owned by Hind Samachar Ltd. and a Matador van, resulting in nine deaths and two injuries. The insurer, National Insurance Company Ltd., paid compensation to the victims but sought to recover the amount from the truck's owner, alleging collusion with the driver to use …

The appellant, father of a deceased motor‑vehicle accident victim, filed an application under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) at Nainital. The Tribunal, after hearing witnesses, held that it lacked territorial jurisdiction and, on that basis alone, dismissed the cl…

Dr. S. Rajaseekaran filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking comprehensive road‑safety measures, especially for pedestrians, helmet use, lane discipline and vehicle lighting. The Court examined the statutory framework under the Motor Vehicles Act, Road Regulations and related rules, and considered extensive data …

The deceased, a junior public health nurse, died in a 2000 motorbike accident. Her husband and two minor children filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.6,53,000. After ten years, the children alone appealed to the Kerala High Court, …

The case arose from a claim for compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 following the death of a government employee, where the dependents were also entitled to ex‑gratia assistance under the Haryana Compassionate Assistance Rules, 2006. The High Court had deducted only 50% of the amount payable under the Rules…

An oil tanker carrying hazardous goods collided with a bicyclist and a pedestrian, killing both. The driver of the tanker did not have the statutory endorsement on his licence required under Section 11 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 read with Rule 9 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The Motor Accidents Claims…

The deceased, an Assistant Engineer aged 51, died in a road accident and his wife and children claimed compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.44,04,912, applying a multiplier of 9 and other heads of loss. The Kerala High Court reduced the loss of d…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Act, 2003, which repealed the Karnataka Contract Carriages (Acquisition) Act, 1976, and whether the State Transport Authority (STA) could delegate the power to grant contract carriage, speci…

The case concerned whether private operators could be granted stage‑carriage permits on inter‑State routes that overlapped portions of intra‑State routes notified under a scheme under Chapter VI of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, in light of an Inter‑State Reciprocal Transport (IS‑RT) Agreement executed under Section 88.…

The owner of a utility van involved in a fatal accident filed five claim petitions and appealed against the High Court's order directing the insurer to "pay and recover". The insurer argued that the policy’s "limitation as to use" clause barred coverage for passengers, contending the vehicle was effectively a goods car…

The deceased was a coolie travelling on a trailer that was being pulled by a tractor insured by The Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company. Due to rash driving, the tractor and trailer toppled, causing the deceased's death. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.9,50,000 compensation and held that the employe…

The appellant, Vaibhav Motors, was a dealer of Hindustan Motors and was sued for compensation after a Hindustan Motors employee died in a test‑drive accident involving a vehicle that had not been sold to the dealer. The key question was whether the dealer could be deemed the "owner" of the vehicle and thus jointly liab…