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Motor Accident Compensation LawSupreme Court of India

Anjani Singh v. Salauddin

Civil Appeal · Neutral citation not assigned (Civil Appeal No. 4647 of 2009)Decided 25 Apr 2014
Civil Appeal No. 4647 of 2009
Justice Gyan Sudha Misra · Justice V. Gopala Gowda

Background

An Air Force sergeant aged 35 died when a truck hit his bicycle. His widow, children and parent challenged an award calculated with a low multiplier and without adequate future prospects. After a larger Bench answered the relevant compensation questions, their appeal returned for determination of the amount.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and fixed total compensation at Rs.11,20,528. It applied the 50% future-prospects addition, one-fourth personal-expense deduction and multiplier of 16 stated in the judgment, with the specified additional heads and litigation cost. After accounting for Rs.5,05,519 already received, it directed payment of the remaining Rs.6,15,009 with 9% interest from the application date until payment. Half of that amount was to be deposited in a nationalised bank and the remainder paid by demand draft within six weeks.

Lesson Learnt

Fatal-accident compensation should account for the deceased's age, likely future income and dependants, with proper credit for earlier payments. The calculation and sums here describe this 2014 award rather than a universal current schedule.

Anjani Singh v. Salauddin – Legal Case Shots | LegalAware