In Brief
A widow and minor daughter of a man killed in a motor accident sought compensation but faced procedural obstacles. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal dismissed their claim on jurisdictional grounds, and their review was rejected. The High Court then dismissed their constitutional petition solely on grounds of delay. The Supreme Court held that although no statutory time limit applies to Article 227 petitions, unreasonable delay must be explained. Where satisfactory explanation exists—especially for vulnerable dependents—the petition must be considered on merits. The Court calculated compensation at ₹6 lakhs for loss of dependency plus ₹2 lakhs for loss of consortium, totalling ₹8 lakhs with 9% interest and ₹50,000 costs.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.