In Brief
In this motor vehicle accident death compensation case, a bachelor left behind his aged mother and physically handicapped sister. The tribunal and high court adopted a multiplier of 9 based on the mother's age. The Supreme Court held that the deceased's own age (not the dependents') should determine the multiplier, setting it at 17. With the deceased's monthly income of Rs. 9,000 and 50% loss of dependency, total compensation was fixed at Rs. 9.18 lakhs. The Court also reversed the High Court's direction to exclude interest for a 205-day appeal delay, awarding interest for the full period from claim filing date.
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