SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1992 Supreme(Cal) 84

High Court Of Calcutta
BHAGAWATI PRASAD BANERJEE , AMAL KANTI BHATTACHARJI
ORIENTAL INSURANCE CO.LTD. - Appellant
Versus
MAHESWARI ROY - Respondent
F. M. A. F.  72a  Of  1990
Decided On : 02/20/1992

The liability under S. 92A of the Motor Vehicles Act could not be put to an end because of the death of the victim subsequently or for any other ground whatsoever. The Parliament made it clear that no fault liability could not be taken away by any other provisions of any other act and as such in the facts and circumstances of the case, Section 306 of the Indian Succession Act had no manner of application to a proceeding under Chapter VIIA of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Headnote:

MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, 1939 - S. 92A - INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT, 1925 - S. 306 - STATUTORY RELIEF - NO FAULT LIABILITY - SURVIVAL OF RIGHT TO SUE OR DEFEND - SUBSTITUTION OF LEGAL HEIR - COMPENSATION FOR PERMANENT DISABLEMENT OR DEATH RESULTING FROM MOTOR ACCIDENT.

Fact of the Case:

A victim of a motor accident, Mahesh Roy, suffered amputation of his right leg and subsequently committed suicide. His mother, Smt. Maheswari Roy, sought substitution as the claimant in the compensation proceedings initiated under S. 92A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the proceeding under Chapter VIIA of the Motor Vehicles Act could not be abated due to the death of the victim, as S. 92A provided for statutory relief fixing liability without fault in certain cases. The court further held that S. 306 of the Indian Succession Act, which provides for the survival of the right to sue or defend in favor of or against the executor or administrator of a deceased party, did not apply to the proceedings under Chapter VIIA of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Issues: Whether the proceeding under Chapter VIIA of the Motor Vehicles Act abated due to the death of the victim.

Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the provisions of S. 92A of the Motor Vehicles Act, which provides for statutory relief fixing liability without fault in certain cases. The court also relied on the decision in Executive Director of Usha Sewing Machine Works Ltd. v. Smt. Sujata Roy, wherein it was held that the maxim actio personalis moritur cum personal (a personal action dies with the plaintiff) is inapplicable in India except to the extent it has been adopted in the statutes.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeal filed by the insurance company and allowed the substitution of the victim's mother as the claimant in the compensation proceedings.

BHAGABATI PROSAD BANERJEE, J.

( 1 ) THIS is an appeal filed by the Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. against the order dated 13/12/1989 passed in M. A. C. Case No. 291 of 1987. By the said order the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal Jalpaiguri allowed the application filed under S. 92a of the Motor Vehicles Act by which the said Tribunal directed the claimant/opposite party to pay a sum of Rs. 7500. 00 for the loss of right leg of the victum due to motor accident, inasmuch, as, a question of law has been raised in this appeal. We have decided to dispose of that question of law at the very outset by our order dated 12/08/1981. We have decided to adopt this course of action because of the action that the victim had died and his mother was substituted in place and stead of the deceased victim and if the notice was issued, in that event, the mother of the victim may not be in a position to appear and defend this case, that is why, we appointed A. B. Majumder learned Advocate as Amicus Curiae and we should decide the question first, if necessary issue notice.

( 2 ) THE fact in short is that Mahesh Roy was a labourer attached to Truck No. NIN 3054. On 9/07/1987 when he was on the truck and when it was proceeding along National Highway 31, the driver of the truck was driving the truck recklessly and when he tried to overtake another vehicle near Dim Dima Tea Garden, it dashed against the road side tree and caused an accident. Due to such accident Mahesh Roy received injuries to his right leg and he was removed to Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital where his leg was amputated. Over the accident a police case was started against the driver of the offending truck. The application under S. 92a of the Motor Vehicles Act was filed by the said Mahesh Roy claiming compensation a sum of Rs. 7500. 00 only for the loss of his right leg. But during the pendency of the application Mahesh Roy committed suicide out of frustration after he was discharged from the hospital. Thereafter the court below allowed the mother of the deceased Smt. Maheswari Roy to be substituted in place of the original claimant who died bachelor. The ground was taken before the Tribunal below that the proceeding was abated because of the death of Mahesh Roy and as such mother of the deceased Mahesh Roy was not entitled to receive any compensation claiming to be legal heir of her bachelor son who has committed suicide.

( 3 ) THE Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. appellant herein filed an application for stay of the operation of the award after preferring an appeal and that the only ground that was placed before us in support of the application for stay of the operation of the award was that Smt. Maheswari Roy widowed mother of Mahesh Roy who was the victim, could be substituted in place and stead of his deceased son Mahesh Roy. The question, therefore is whether after the death of Mahesh Roy on a subsequent death, his legal heir could be substituted and allowed to claim compensation.

( 4 ) MR. Sudhir Ranjan Khastgir learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the Oriental insurance Co. Ltd. submitted that on the death of the injured, claim of compensation on account of loss to the estate of injured did not survive to the legal heirs in view of the provisions of S. 306 of the Indian Succession Act. On the other hand, the claim of the claimant before the Tribunal below was that the proceeding has not abated and the claim on account of loss to the estate of injured survived to the legal heirs under S. 306 of the Indian Succession Act, was not a bar for getting substitution and proceeding with the case for the purpose of compensation.

( 5 ) S. 92a of the Motor Vehicles Act provides that "where the death or permanent disablement of any person has resulted from an accident arising out of the use of a motor vehicle or motor vehicles, the owner of the vehicle shall or as the case may be, the owners of the vehicles shall jointly and severally, be liable to pay compensation in respect of such death or disab




Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

AI

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top