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

2023 Supreme(Raj) 1963

IN THE HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN AT JAIPUR BENCH
Narendra Singh Dhaddha, J.
Shanti Devi and Others – Appellants
Versus
Siddharth Kumar and Others – Respondents
S.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No. 3561 of 2018
Decided On : 05-07-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Bhanu Prakash Verma
For the Respondent: Chanderdeep Singh Jodha

Headnote:(A) Motor Vehicles Act - Sections 166 and 168 - Compensation in motor accident cases - The Tribunal initially awarded Rs.6,75,608/- but was found erroneous in income assessment; deceased's income should reflect actual earnings and include future prospects - Rs.9,16,142/- compensation established after reconsideration. (Paras 2, 7 and 8)

(B) Appeal - Scope of review in recalculating compensation, where minimum wages applied, and proper future prospects consideration may lead to substantial increase. (Paras 8)\n

Facts of the case:
The claimants, relatives of the deceased, contested the Tribunal's income assessment of Rs.4316/- per month, arguing for Rs.15,000/- based on evidence of actual earnings. They highlighted the necessity of calculating compensation inclusive of future prospects and correct daily wage application. (Paras 2 and 7)\n

Findings of Court:
The final compensation now is Rs.9,16,142/-, with an order for the non-claimants to deposit the enhanced amount with the Tribunal within two months and an interest rate of 7% from the filing date. (Paras 8)\n

Issues: Whether the Tribunal's assessment of monthly income was appropriate and if future prospects should have been incorporated into the compensation calculation. (Paras 2 and 8)\n

Ratio Decidendi: The court deemed that the initial income assessment was flawed due to a lack of evidence rebutting actual earnings, justifying a modification that included realistic compensation calculations against minimum wage standards, with adjustments made for future earnings. (Paras 7)\n

Result: Appeal partly allowed, and judgment modified to reflect the enhanced compensation amount.

JUDGMENT :

Narendra Singh Dhaddha, J.

1. Instant appeal has been preferred by the appellants- claimant Nos.1, 4 and 5 (for short 'the claimants') dissatisfied with the judgment and award dated 30.03.2018 passed by Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Dausa (hereinafter referred to as 'the Tribunal') in Claim Case No. -B.T. No. 147/2017(375/2013), whereby an amount of Rs.6,75,608/- alongwith interest @ 7% per annum from the date of filing of the claim petition was awarded as compensation in favour of the claimants.

2. Learned counsel for the claimants submits that the Tribunal wrongly assessed the income of deceased as Rs.4316/- per month. Learned counsel for the claimants also submits that deceased-Chatrapal @ Chitar Pal used to build flats and earned Rs.15,000/- per month. Claimant-Smt. Shanti Devi had clearly stated in her evidence that deceased was earning Rs.15,000/- per month. No evidence in rebuttal was adduced by the non- claimants. So, income of the deceased be calculated as Rs.15,000/- per month. Alternatively, learned counsel for the claimants also submits that at that time, minimum wages was Rs.166/- per day. The Tribunal had calculated income for 26 days, whereas it should be for 30 days. Learned counsel for the claimants also submits that the Tribunal had not awarded amount towards the future prospects and the Tribunal had awarded only Rs.40,000/- under the head of the loss of consortium and love & affection, whereas for loss of consortium and love & affection it should be Rs.40,000/- for per claimant. So, the judgment and award of the Tribunal be modified.

3. Learned counsel for the claimants has placed reliance upon the following judgments : (1) United India Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Satinder Kaur @ Satwinder Kaur & Ors. reported in 2020 (2) R.A.R. 153 (SC); (2) Ved Prakash Goel @ Ved Goel & Anr. v. S. D. Singh & Anr. reported in 2021 (1) R.A.R. 41 (SC) and (3) Erudhaya Priya v. State Express Transport Corporation Ltd. in Civil Appeal Nos.2811-2812 of 2020 (Arising out of SLP (C) Nos.8495-8496 of 2018) decided on 27.07.2020.

4. Learned counsel for the Insurance Company has opposed the arguments advanced by learned counsel for the claimants and submitted that claimants had not adduced any cogent evidence that deceased was earning Rs.15,000/- per month. So, the Tribunal rightly calculated the income of the deceased on the basis of minimum wages. He further submits that the Tribunal rightly awarded Rs.40,000/- towards the loss of consortium and love & affection because Hon'ble Apex Court and various High Courts in their pronouncements held that compensation in the head of loss of consortium and love & affection should be in total Rs.40,000/- for all the claimants and not for individual. So, the appeal be dismissed.

5. Learned counsel for the Insurance Company has placed reliance upon the following judgments : (1) Bhagwati & Ors. v. Manmohan & Ors. in FAO No. 1280/2022 decided on 26.04.2023; (2) Smt. Dropti & Ors. v. Vinod & Ors. in FAO No. 1481/2021 decided on 17.04.2023; (3) Shri Ram General Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Bhagat Singh Rawat & Ors. in Civil Appeal Nos.2410-2412/2023 (SLP (C) Nos.11669- 11671/2020) decided on 27.03.2023 and (4) Bebi Giri v. National Insurance Co. Ltd. in Civil Appeal No. 6551/2022 (Arising out of SLP(C) No. 8768/2018) decided on 06.09.2022.

6. I have considered the arguments advanced by learned counsel for the claimants as well as learned counsel for the Insurance Company.

7. It is an admitted position that claimants had not adduced any cogent evidence that deceased-Chatrapal @ Chitar Pal was earning Rs.15,000/- per month. So, in my considered opinion, the Tribunal considered the deceased as a labour and rightly assessed the income on the basis of minimum wages but the Tribunal had granted minimum wages for 26 days, whereas it should be 30 days. The Tribunal had not awarded any amount towards future prospects. So, in my considered opinion, considering the age of deceased i.e. 45 years, claimants are entitled

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