In Brief
A 19-year-old victim rendered permanently comatose and bedridden after a motorcycle accident sued for compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.10,88,800/-. The High Court reduced this to Rs.5,76,000/- by applying a multiplier of 16 instead of 18, and granted only Rs.1 lakh for future treatment. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that a multiplier of 18 was correct for a young person with 100% disability, and significantly enhanced compensation for future medical treatment (Rs.5,00,000/-) and loss of amenities (Rs.5,00,000/-), resulting in total compensation of Rs.20,13,800/-.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.