HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Anoop Kumar Dhand, J.
Suraj Mal Kumawat & Ors. – Appellants
Versus
Ramesh Kumar & Ors. – Respondents
S.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No. 871 of 2000
Decided On : 25-02-2022
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 - Compensation - Re-computation of award
Fact of the Case:
The appellants appealed the judgment and award passed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, seeking re-computation of the compensation awarded for the death of Trilok Chand in an accident.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the Tribunal had not awarded any amount towards future prospects and only a small amount under the conventional heads. The court re-computed the award, enhancing the compensation by Rs. 1,51,400 and directed the respondent-Insurance Company to pay the enhanced amount with interest.
Issues: The issues involved the computation of compensation for the death of Trilok Chand in the accident, specifically regarding the amount awarded under various heads.
Ratio Decidendi: The court re-computed the compensation award by considering the deceased's monthly income, applying a multiplier, and adding amounts for future prospects, loss of estate, funeral expenses, and loss of consortium.
Final Decision: The court disposed of the appeal by enhancing the compensation amount by Rs. 1,51,400 and directing the respondent-Insurance Company to pay the enhanced amount with interest.
JUDGMENT
Anoop Kumar Dhand, J. - The present civil misc. appeal under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles act, 1988 has been preferred by the appellants-claimants aggrieved with the judgment and award dated 28.02.2000 passed by the Court of Motor accident Claims Tribunal, Jaipur and Rajasthan State Co-operative Tribunal, Jaipur (for short 'the Tribunal') in Motor accident Claim Case No. 298/94, whereby an amount of Rs. 2,21,000/- has been awarded by way of compensation on account of death of Trilok Chand in an accident which occurred on 16.01.1994.
2. The Tribunal after framing the issues, evaluating the evidence available on record and hearing counsel for the parties, decided the claim petition of the appellants-claimants awarding compensation to the tune of Rs.2,21,000/- under various heads in favour of the appellants-claimants.
3. Learned counsel appearing for the appellants-claimants submits that no amount towards future prospects has been awarded and no amount has been awarded under the conventional heads in the light of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of National Insurance Company Ltd. v. Pranay Sethi & Ors. : (2017) 16 SCC 680. Counsel for the appellants further prays that re-computation of the award in the present case may be done in the light of the judgment of Hon'ble apex Court in the case of Pranay Sethi (supra).
4. Per Contra, learned counsel appearing for the respondent-Insurance Company submits that while deciding the claim petition of the appellants-claimants, the Tribunal has correctly taken into consideration the factors while calculating the award in this case on the anvil of evidence produced before it. Thus the judgment dated 28.02.2000 does not call for any interference of this Court.
5. Learned counsel, however, is not in a position to controvert the submissions made by the counsel for the appellants-claimants with respect to re-computation of the award in the present case in the light of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Pranay Sethi (supra).
6. I have considered the submissions made at the Bar and gone through the judgment dated 28.02.2000 as well as the relevant documents available on the record.
7. admittedly, the deceased Trilok Chand died at the age of 26 years, but not a single penny under the head of future prospects has been awarded to the claimants appellants and under the conventional head only a petty amount of Rs. 5,000/- has been awarded.
8. Thus, the award is re-computed as under:-
| Monthly income | Rs. 1,000/- |
| annual income | Rs. 1,000 x12 = Rs.12,000/- per annum |
| Multiplier to be applied | 18 |
| add 40 per cent towards future prospects | Rs.2,16,000 + Rs. 86,400 |
| add loss of estate | Rs. 15,000/- |
| add funeral expenses | Rs. 15,000/- |
| add towards loss of consortium | Rs. 40,000/- |
| Total compensation awardable | Rs. 3,02,400+70,000 =Rs. 3,72,400/- |
| Less amount awarded by the Tribunal | Rs. 3,72,400 - Rs.2,21,000 = Rs.1,51,400/- |
| Enhanced amount of compensation | Rs. 1,51,400/- |
9. Thus, an amount of Rs. 1,51,400/- is enhanced in the present case and the respondent- Insurance Company is directed to pay a further amount of Rs. 1,51,400/- in addition to the amount already awarded by the Tribunal vide its judgment dated 28.02.2000 within a period of six weeks from today. The enhanced amount shall carry interest @ 6% per annum from the date of filing the claim petition till the actual payment is made.
10. The appeal stands disposed of in above terms.
11. all pending application(s), if any, also stand disposed of.
12. Registry is directed to send back the record of the Tribunal forthwith.
National Insurance Company Ltd. vs. Pranay Sethi & Ors. : (2017) 16 SCC 680
The court's decision emphasized the need to consider future prospects and various heads while computing compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the income of a daily wager should be assessed for 30 days instead of 26 days, and claimants are entitled to 40% amount towards future prospec....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the reliance on documentary evidence to determine the deceased's income and the application of legal precedents to re-compute the compensation awar....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the re-computation of compensation in consideration of loss of future amenities and marital life, as per the legal principles established in releva....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the entitlement to future prospects, with the court holding that the claimants are entitled to 50% in addition towards future prospects as the dece....
The court considered the deceased's income from multiple sources and the lack of consideration for future prospects in enhancing the compensation, in line with the judgment of Pranay Sethi (2017) SC ....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the application of relevant Supreme Court judgments to determine 'just compensation' in motor accident claims, particularly regarding future prospe....
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