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2026 Supreme(Online)(SCDRC) 6321
CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN
GK Sharma, President, Prashant Kumar Verma, Member
VIMLESH KUMAR SHARMA Through its devnarayan – Appellant
Versus
D.M THE NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED Through its branch manager – Respondent
SC/22/FA/277/2025
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Shaktir Ali
For the Respondents: Abhay Gaur Mukhi
An insurance company cannot unilaterally appoint successive surveyors to obtain a 'tailor-made' report to reduce a claim amount without cogent reasons; the agreed Insured Declared Value (IDV) must be the basis for settlement in total loss cases.
Headnote:Under Section 41 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the appellant challenged the order of the District Commission regarding an insurance claim for a commercial vehicle. The vehicle was insured with an Insured Declared Value (IDV) of 23,00,001 INR. Following an accident, the insurance company appointed multiple surveyors. While the second surveyor assessed the loss at 13,77,676 INR, the company unilaterally appointed a third surveyor who reduced the claim to 5,56,617 INR based on depreciation. The District Commission had previously accepted this lower amount. The primary issue was whether an insurance company can appoint successive surveyors to obtain a 'tailor-made' report to reduce a claim. The court reasoned that while the Insurance Act 1938 allows for a second surveyor under specific valid reasons, it does not permit the insurer to appoint a succession of surveyors simply to satisfy its own interests or to arbitrarily reduce the agreed IDV in a total loss scenario. The appeal is allowed, and the District Commission's order is modified. The respondent is directed to pay 13,77,676 INR with 6% interest from the date of filing, subject to a salvage deduction of 1,21,000 INR if the vehicle is retained by the appellant, along with compensation for mental agony and litigation costs.
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