1. Respondent Nos.1 to 6 had filed a claim petition under the motor Vehicles Act, 1988 with the Motor accidents Claims Tribunal, Kurukshetra (hereinafter referred to as the Tribunal)against appellants and respondent No.7. The claim petition arose because of a vehicular accident which took place on 6.7.98 at about 5.30 p. m. near Bus Stand, Kurukshetra in front of the petrol pump of village Ratgal, on Pipli-Kurukshetra Road. Shankar Das, husband of respondent No.1, father of respondent Nos.4, 5 and 6 and son of respondent Nos.2 and 3 received fatal injuries in the said accident. The deceased was going on his scooter when he was dashed by the bus driven by respondent No.7 and owned by appellants. It is the case of the claimants-respondents that the deceased was driving his scooter at a slow speed and on the correct side of the road and when he reached the place of accident, a bus came from behind the scooter and the bus was run in a rash and negligent manner. Because of this, the bus dashed against the scooter driven by the deceased which caused multiple injuries to the deceased.

2. The claimants-respondents contended that the deceased was 36 years of age and was drawing a mo