( 1 ) RESPONDENT nos. 1 and 2 (hereinafter referred to also as claimant nos. 1 and 2) are respectively the husband and son of one rajalakshmi. On 22. 5. 1997 she was proceeding on a motor cycle bearing registration No. Dl2-s-d6929 as a pillion rider. Her son (respondent No. 2 herein) was the rider of the motor cycle. According to them, when the motor cycle was proceeding near asc centre, lower agaram road, Bangalore, a military truck bearing registration No. 91-d-89858x which was proceeding in the same direction, suddenly turned to the left in a rash and negligent manner and hit the motor bike on the right side; and as a consequence, the said rajalakshmi fell down from the motor cycle and the truck ran over her, as a result of which she died at the spot. Feeling aggrieved, her husband and son filed mvc No. 2566 of 1997 claiming a compensation of Rs. 29,00,000 against the driver (respondent No. 2 before the tribunal and respondent No. 3 in this appeal) and the owners (respondent nos. 1, 3 to 5 before the tribunal and appellants in this appeal) of the truck. The claimants contended that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving by the driver of the mi