Supreme Court Vindicates Compensation for Road Accident Victim's Family

The Supreme Court has overturned a Madhya Pradesh High Court decision against compensating the family of a road accident victim. The apex court deemed the high court's order "cryptic" and restored the initial award by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal for over Rs 50 lakh to the victim's family.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a decisive verdict, overturning a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that denied compensation to the kin of a road accident victim. The bench, led by Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, termed the high court's order as 'cryptic'.

The apex court restored the award of Rs 50,41,289 granted by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Satna, originally intended for the victim's wife and son. The high court, in its first appeal under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, had hastily reversed this detailed award.

The Supreme Court noted the case's lengthy timeline since 2018 and stressed that further delays would worsen the family's plight. Criticizing the insurance company for lacking substantial evidence, the court reinstated the MACT's finding of the victim's death being caused by a rashly driven truck.

(With inputs from agencies.)